This is Plymouth --STILL the funkiest of Kia's offerings, the revised Soul is no longer the poor relation when it comes to powertrain efficiency and quality. The concept behind the Soul still holds water. Bringing the more palatable elements of 4x4 design to a front wheel-drive supermini-sized vehicle is a sensible course of action and buyers looking for a practical small car with a bit of style could easily be seduced.
As before, the Soul is offered with a choice of petrol or diesel power, but outputs are up and consumption and emissions down. The 1.6-litre petrol unit now develops a meatier 140bhp and 122lb ft of torque while its 1.6-litre CRDI diesel counterpart offers 128bhp and 192lb ft of torque.
Carrying on the trend from the previous model, diesel is likely to be the more popular option. Both engines are offered with a choice of a new six-speed manual or automatic transmission and the optional EcoDynamics pack, which features start-stop technology and alternator management, cuts CO2 emissions to 125 g/km for the diesel model and 139 g/km for the petrol-powered car.
The Soul offers the urban tough looks with front wheel-drive underpinnings and fewer of the gas-guzzling connotations. Its spacious interior is well conceived and the latest diesel engine, with the option of EcoDynamics in particular, looks a winner. Kia's stated aim is to produce cars for Europe based around European tastes and the Soul continues to bee very much on message.
The Soul sits its driver in an upright position and gives a decent view out over its stubby bonnet at the front. The C-pillars are chunky affairs and don't help visibility rearward but the Soul's flat back should assist in parking manoeuvres.
The Soul might be front wheel-drive but you could certainly be forgiven for thinking otherwise on first catching site of one.
The classic 4x4 styling cues can all be ticked off, from the chunky bumpers and flared wheel arches to the roof bars and the setsquare rear end.
There's even a plastic vent behind the front wheel that houses the side repeater and could have been lifted direct from a Land Rover.
The latest cosmetic tweaks do nothing to alter the overall aesthetic proposition; if anything, they reinforce it. With its more prominent nose treatment – which incorporates more powerful, twin-bulb headlamps with daytime running lights.
At the back there's a larger black bumper inset panel, repositioned fog lights and LED light clusters on higher spec models. The Soul's boxy dimensions help it trump any supermini you'd care to mention for interior space.
The boot has a huge opening, a usefully high loading lip and compartments beneath the floor, while space in the back seats is also plentiful.
What we have always been able to bank on with Kia is equipment and lots of it.
The Soul shows no sign of breaking with that tradition as its standard specification includes an MP3-compatible stereo with six speakers, a 112-watt output and PowerBass to rattle those windows. There's also six airbags, ABS and ESP stability control as standard.
Andy Enright Reported by This is 1 hour ago.