The All New Kia Soul

As with the previous model, the new Soul offers buyers a choice of efficient 1.6-litre direct-injection petrol and turbo diesel engines tuned for effortless driving flexibility. The diesel Soul has CO2 emissions as low as 132g/km and fuel economy as high as 56.5mpg. Kia has already announced that towards the end of 2014 there will be a fully-electric version of the car, called Soul EV – the company’s first global commercial EV – with zero tailpipe emissions. There are three regular trim lines – Start, Connect and Connect Plus – which will be joined in the summer by the Soul Mixx and Soul Maxx, with even more extrovert styling and higher levels of technology than ever before.

The upright stance, square shoulders and distinctive bumper flares instantly identify it as a Soul, but it has a 20mm longer wheelbase – now 2,570mm – which stretches the car by a corresponding amount to 4,140mm, and it is 15mm wider at 1,800mm. With the height lowered by 10mm to 1,600mm, the new car appears more squat, sporty and purposeful. There are benefits for practicality, too: the tailgate opening is 62mm wider and provides access to a four per cent larger boot – 354 litres with the rear seats upright, With the rears seats folded the luggage capacity is 994 litres to the cargo cover and a maximum of 1,367 litres up to the roof level.

There is also a more premium look and feel to the interior. This has been achieved through the choice of materials; the soft-touch facings on the instrument panel, centre console and door panels; the leather-covered steering wheel rim and gearlever knob (except Soul Start) and the high-gloss black finishing on the fascia panel, steering wheel bezel, door armrests and upper console cover (Soul Connect upwards). In the three upper-grade versions there are front speaker mood lights, while the range-topping Soul Maxx has a TFT instrument cluster and leather upholstery.

The 1.6-litre CRDi diesel engine was designed and engineered at European Technical Centre at Russelsheim, just outside Frankfurt, and is made at the company’s manufacturing facility at Žilina, in Slovakia. It develops 126bhp and 260Nm of torque. Acceleration from 0-60mph is achieved in 10.8 seconds with the six-speed manual gearbox, while the top speed is 112mph. The figures with the six-speed automatic gearbox are 11.8 seconds and 110mph.

Manual versions have combined fuel consumption of 56.5mpg with CO2 emissions of 132g/km, while the figures for the automatic are a highly impressive 47.1mpg and 158g/km.

The new Soul is also available with Kia’s 1.6-litre GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) petrol engine. GDi makes it possible to raise power and torque levels while reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It develops 130bhp and 161Nm of torque and accelerates from 0-60mph in 10.6 seconds, with a top speed of 115mph. Average fuel consumption of the Start, Connect and Connect Plus models is 41.5mpg with CO2 emissions of 158g/m, while for the Mixx and Maxx with 18-inch wheels the figures are 38.7mpg and 170g/km.

Credits: Oneshift News Team