Does it do the job?
A big part of the Soul's job is to grab people's attention and that is something it does very well indeed. While it is not one of those small cars that has been designed to 'smile' at you - tough but not rough is how Kia describes the looks - it's certainly capable of putting a smile on your face. The prominent bumper and headlamps and the narrow little grille create a combination more akin to a frown than a smile, but there is real character there and the same is true of the distinctive rear end treatment. The sweptback roofline creates a real street racer look and the bulbous wheel arches look especially good when they are stuffed with optional 18" alloy wheels.
Beware those pretty wheels though if you want to cruise around in serene comfort, the ride is very firm indeed, crashy even and will not be to everyone's tastes. Happily opting for smaller 16-inch or better still, 15-inch wheels smoothes things out considerably, although not completely. While the handling won't rival that of MINI's Clubman, tidy turn-in to corners and reasonable resistance to body roll ensures the Soul feels nimble in town and fun on country roads. Its high-sided body means it can take a bit of a buffeting on the motorway in strong side winds and also there is a considerable roar of wind noise at speed from around the top of the windows.
The 124bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine accelerates the Soul to 62mph in 11.0 seconds and feels adequate, as opposed to fast. There's a slightly odd feel to the throttle response at low speed, smooth take-offs can be difficult and it's quite easy to stall the car. Neither fuel economy, at 42.8mpg, or CO2, at 153g/km set new standards in the class. The 126bhp 1.6litre turbodiesel offers better economy at 55.4 mpg, and neither the five-speed manual gearbox nor the brakes give any cause for complaint.
While the cabin feels very solidly put together, the plastics used are not of the most expensive quality, but at least the interior feels like it will stand up to a fair bit of abuse. There's a generous amount of cabin space and four adults are able to fit in without any problem. Stowage space is a bit disappointing though. The Soul brings no new sticks to the party in terms of clever storage solutions. The glovebox is a reasonable size and whilst the door pockets can hold half litre bottles of water, they are not very wide. The boot is far from huge, although more stowage is available beneath the removable floor.
