|
 | |
        | |
  |
 |
Energy Smart Ever since becoming part of Hyundai, Kia has been seeking a new identity that would separate it from its parent. But since Kia is best known for inexpensive imports, it couldn't be too extreme a move. Well Kia may have found their new ID with the Soul, a city dweller crossover with plenty of flash and practicality that's ready to win over a following that's all it's own. Looking young and hip, the 2010 Kia Soul joins the ranks of multi-purpose urban cruisers like Toyota's xB, Honda's Element, and the forthcoming Nissan Cube. The Soul began as a small, crossover concept at the 2006 auto show in Detroit. The five-passenger Soul is built on a stretched Kia Rio subcompact platform. With a 100.4 inch wheelbase, and an overall length of 161.8 inches, it's shorter than either xB or Element, but a bit longer than the Cube. Appropriately, the front-end of this little import wears a soulful expression defined by poignant-looking headlamps and a sliver of a grille. Once past the steeply raked windshield, the Soul's cartoony profile rises above puffy wheel flares and fast-moving creases up the flanks, while the boxy back-end dons our Sport model's unique rear fascia and add-on spoiler. The whole package sits atop 15-, 16-, or our tester's 18-inch wheels pushed way out to the corners. Shuffling between four separate trim levels, the Soul's exceptionally roomy cabin is Kia's best styling and packaging effort to date.
Our Sport model adds alloy pedals and unique red-black sport cloth seats. They deliver good support and excellent visibility. Another nice touch is the leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel with audio and cruise controls. All Souls include power windows, locks, and air-conditioning, with a tilt/slide sunroof an option. But to many the highlight of this interior will be the 315-watt Audio Upgrade Package. Armed with a subwoofer and pulsating speaker lights, it's sure to make for one cosmically acoustic joyride. Safety comes as six standard airbags and active front head restraints. The rear seat offers ample room for three with a 60/40 split folding feature. Under a large hatch is good if not extraordinary cargo room. Seats up it's 19.3 cubic feet, or again less than xB and Element, and more than Cube. But with all seats down, its max capacity of 53.4 is the least of the group. The heart of the front-drive only Soul is one of two twin-cam fours. Base is an aluminum block 1.6-liter rated at 122 horsepower and 115 pound-feet of torque. All other trims use a cast-iron block 2.0-liter with 142 horsepower and 137 pound-feet of torque. Both engines couple to a five-speed manual gearbox, while an automatic with only four gears is optional with the 2.0. Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 26 city/31 highway for the 1.6-liter, and 24 city/30 highway for the 2.0, both on regular gas. We managed a good 26.1 miles-per-gallon in real-world driving. At our track, our manual Soul 2.0 showed more spirit than we expected. It sprinted from 0 to 60 in 8.7 seconds and finished the quarter-mile run in 16.8 seconds at 82 miles-per-hour. The 2.0 revs in a hurry with decent oomph for a small 4-banger. Shifts were fairly smooth, but with long throws. The Soul's ride and handling are the product of an independent front MacPherson strut setup and a rear torsion beam suspension, which gets firmer tuning for Sport trim. Stability and traction control are standard.
For braking, the Soul comes standard with all disc and ABS. Hard stops were straight and stable, averaging a good 128 feet from 60 to 0, with good pedal feel. On the street, the Soul exhibits a compliant ride and feels far more substantial than its size would indicate. Its easy feel makes it a natural commuter. We feel good about Soul prices too, ranging from a thrifty $13,995, to our top level Sport at $18,595 before options. And, Kia's 10 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty makes the price look even sweeter. Kia is clearly stepping up its products and image, and the 2010 Soul is the best example yet. This stylish little box from Korea is oozing with urban lifestyle, and gives it up at a very affordable price. Add in an enjoyable to drive nature, and a comfortable interior, and the Soul becomes one very attractive package.
|
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|||
|
|||
The bold use of colors plays nicely against an artfully designed dash. The bogey-board-like center stack is both ergonomically correct and has a ton of techno-urban appeal, and apart for some plastic-y materials, fit and finish is not far off Toyota and Honda.
We found our Soul to be athletically-inclined, but not quite sporty. It is well-planted and nimble, but under steer comes in early. Body roll is evident too, although never excessive. Make the steering more responsive and we'd be well satisfied.