The original Kia Soul was introduced in 2008 to much fanfare. I distinctly remember the commercial with the “hip hamsters” driving around in this cute-ute. It is classified as an SUV/CUV, but realistically, it’s more of hatchback with higher seating. It was a competitor with the likes of the Honda Element, Nissan Juke, Scion xB and the Nissan Cube, however the Soul is still kicking about while those other vehicles have gone to automotive heaven. Not only is the Soul the only surviving member out of the group, but it is absolutely thriving. Kia has improved upon each and every area of the Soul that you could imagine with its 2020 models.
The current generation Kia Soul is the third iteration of this small CUV. It went on sale in 2019 as a 2020 model.
Kia has kept the basic styling/silhouette of the Soul the same as the outgoing model, but it has given it a new front and rear fascia. The design has been refined quite a lot, giving it a modern look. The front features sharp lights in the top portion of the front while a separate light cluster housing the fog lights and signal lights sit lower in the bumper, the lower trims have the headlights where the fog lights are on the GT-Line. The front features a much larger grill, which looks even bigger in the sporty GT-Line trim. The rear features boomerang-style taillights, that are reminiscent of tail lights found on Volvo vehicles. However, Kia has taken things further by connecting the two tail lights with a massive roof mounted light bar.
The overall length has been increased by about 2.2” and there’s an increase of 1” in wheelbase. It is still quite a small vehicle, perfect for city runabouts. Our GT-Line trim Soul came with 18” wheels, the lower trims are offered with 16” and 17” wheels.
Overall, the 2020 Kia Soul keeps the cute and quirky styling of the original Soul but it’s much more refined now, giving the Soul a somewhat upscale look.
The Kia Soul is offered with one engine choice in Canada, which is a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder, producing 147 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 132 pound-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm. In the USA, you can get a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine, producing 201 horsepower. Power is sent to the front wheels via an Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT), which is a fancier way of saying CVT.
The Canadian power and torque figures might not seem like much, but this is a small vehicle and it’s not supposed to be a sports car like the Kia Stinger, so it seems adequate enough. I’m sure the 201 HP American version is quite a peppy car to drive. But for general running around town, the 147 HP is more than enough and it’s not bad on the highway either, you just have to time your passes over slower cars in advance.
The Soul is a pretty zippy little car in city driving, it’s quite fun to weave in and out of traffic. A bit reminiscent of the Mini. Outward visibility is great thanks to the boxy shape and large windows and parking in tight city parking spots is a breeze. The Soul is a perfect city car, of course you don’t need to live in a city to appreciate the practicality of this little ute, but makes a lot of sense in the city.
Don’t let the exterior dimensions fool you, the interior is quite roomy. That’s the beauty of a boxy design. I’m 5’8” tall and I had more than enough room in the front seats and plenty of leg room in the rear seats with the front seats set up in a comfortable position. Even occupants as tall as 6’ would find adequate leg room. Because of the boxy shape, there’s no shortage of head room. The seating position is quite upright, which makes getting in and out quite easy and shorter people would find the seating position quite good.
The interior layout is quite a simple one and it’s easy to understand. There’s a large 10.25” touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard, lower trims get 8” touchscreen, with a volume and a tuning knob. Below it is a small separate section for the climate control, which is very simple and easy to understand and use.
The materials on the inside are mostly hard plastics, but that’s to be expected in a vehicle in this class. The seats are comfortable and come with heating and cooling, only on the top trim. The noise level on the inside is acceptable for a vehicle in this segment.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed spending a week with the 2020 Kia Soul GT-Line. It’s quite a quirky looking vehicle, something we don’t get too often nowadays. The new design is quite refreshing and looks upscale, especially in the top trim with the LED lights. The Soul is fun enough to drive, as long as you keep your expectations in line with what this class of vehicle should be.
For more information on the Soul and other Kia vehicles, visit check out the Kia Canada website.
