Kia Soul
Why did it take Korea, not Japan, to make a box on wheels look cool?
Published:
Mon, 17 Aug 2009
Kia Soul
Road Test
Price Guide (recommended price before dealer and statutory charges): $20,990 to $30,890
Crash rating: Five star rating by Euro NCAP
Fuel: 91 RON Petrol or Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.0 (1.6 petrol auto); 5.9 (1.6 turbo diesel auto)
CO2 emissions (g/km): 167 (1.6 petrol auto), 155(1.6 turbo diesel auto)
Also consider: Hyundai i30 wagon, Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engines and Drivetrain: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0
About our ratings
The last time boxes on wheels were sold in Australia, they were sent packing. Pun intended. The tiny Daihatsu Move and Suzuki Wagon R+ were big sellers in Japan, but found a lukewarm reception locally.
The slightly larger, but also whitegoods on wheels, Suzuki Ignis followed but also was short-lived. It even sounded like it was named after a fridge.
So imagine our surprise to find that it took the Koreans to succeed where the Japanese have struggled: they've made a box on wheels that actually looks good.
In Japan cars are taxed according to their size. The rules there effectively created a genre of cars that resemble cubes as each manufacturer tries to maximise space within the defined limits. Kia didn't have that dilemma. It could stretch the boundaries, so to speak.
It gave the task of designing a box-shaped, functional small car to its styling studio in California, where there is a sub culture of cool cube-like cars. The Soul is the fruit of their labour.
Some people don't like the Soul because it looks different, but perhaps that's because they don't understand it yet. The Soul's rectangular silhouette is cleverly disguised by exaggerated lines, over-sized wheel arch bulges and eyes (headlights) with personality. It looks big but, believe it or not, is a hand-width shorter bumper to bumper than a Toyota Corolla hatch.
Cabin space is huge, especially in terms of headroom. The interior presentation is stylish and simple and seems well made. A five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty adds peace of mind.
The more upright windscreen pillars make it feel like you're driving around in a cage, or a miniature Hummer. It takes some time to getting used to it. Somehow, it creates a feeling of invincibility. It's a good thing then that the Soul has a five-star safety rating according to the European New Car Assessment Program (ENCAP).
Front, side and curtain airbags are standard on all three model grades of Soul sold in Australia. Stability control is standard on the top two grades. The base model makes do with anti-lock brakes with rear drums, while the expensive models have four-wheel discs.
The Soul may not set any racing lap records but as a city runabout it is perfectly at home. Some critics have cast doubt on the amount of power from the 1.6 petrol engine but, to be frank, it's fine.
Its about time we stopped judging cars by their engine capacity and looked at their real-world performance. Indeed, if you didn't know the Soul had a 1.6 under the bonnet you could be forgiven for thinking it packed the full 2.0 litres... One experienced colleague did.
The 1.6 turbodiesel also tested during our Soul sojourn is a sweety, too. Although it has roughly the same amount of power (91kW for the petrol and 94kW for the diesel) it has much more torque (a substantial 260Nm compared with the petrol's 156Nm). This is the stuff that gets you moving.
The diesel engine is a little noisy compared with other modern diesels, but there's no doubting the performance or economy.
I enjoyed my time with both versions of the Soul. I especially liked such touches on the top grade model as the mood lighting in the cabin and speaker grilles that can be turned on, off, or pulse to the beat of the music.
Complaints are few. Rear-three-quarter visibility is restricted by the thick roof pillars and a Kia-approved rear view camera (part of the rear view mirror) is available only on the most expensive model. We'd like to see it across the range.
The cargo space is also quite small considering the overall proportions of the car.
And finally, the price. Kia deserves praise for making the Soul well-equipped, especially when it comes to safety, but this car is pushing big dollars against some well established competition.
Perhaps that's why Kia has modest sales expectations. Indeed, perhaps the Soul is more about enhancing the brand's image by charging premium for an offbeat but well made car...
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