Small crossovers are extremely popular in today's market, combining supermini dimensions
with chunky SUV styling which certainly appeals to younger buyers.
The Kia Soul has been updated with an even more distinctive look designed to do just
that.
It still features the illusion of a floating roof thanks to the black door pillars but
there's now a more pronounced SUV look to the Kia.
There's a choice of five trims, which means there should be something for everyone - with
the top-of-the-range models getting an Urban Styling Pack that adds to the bold looks with
black trim treatment on the bumpers, side skirts and wheelarches.
Mixx models can be specified with four two-tone designs with coloured roofs, while the flagship
Maxx gets a panoramic glass roof.
The longer, wider and taller dimensions mean the boot is now bigger and although the seats
don't fold flat the room in here is so large you can probably just about forgive it for
that.
Especially when you take into account how much passenger space there is, the boxy shapes
lends itself to excellent head room and the leg room even for 6 footers is also brilliant.
The new interior is much more up market, the new buttons and switches look modern and are
well laid out.
Build quality seems really good and the if you go for a higher spec model you get a touchscreen
for the sat nav and upgraded audio system.
Storage is excellent
with the large door bins, glovebox
Kia has improved the suspension of the new Soul so that bumps and potholes in the road
aren't as jarring inside the car.
Be careful of the larger wheels though because they can have a detrimental effect on how
comfy this car is...
To make things slightly better, the insulation protects against road and wind noise and visibility
is pretty good thanks to large windows and the high driving position.
Another glowing quality is the warranty, as with all new Kias, it comes with a 7 year/100,000
mile warranty to prevent any big bills...
Not only that, multiple airbags and electronic stability control are standard on all models,
helping to keep driver and passengers safe.
Unfortunately that's where the good points end.
The fuel consumption is the biggest gripe I have because it means it's relatively expensive
to tax for its class and is lagging behind a bit in terms of economy.
The 1.6 petrol returns 41.5 miles to the gallon and costs £180 a year to tax while the supposedly
frugal diesel can only manage 56.5 miles to the gallon against its competitor the Nissan
Juke which achieves 61.4 miles to the gallon and emits much lower CO2 emissions.
Plus the diesel engines are a bit noisy.
Having said all that, you will be able to get an electric version soon and with the
improved build quality, smart new looks and that really long warranty could be enough
to sway you.
Do check outs its rivals though, watch the Renault Captur video here and the Nissan Juke
video here, you can view our latest video here and don't forget to subscribe to our
Carbuyer channel by clicking here!