What is it: A great question, and one that strikes at the heart of the Kia Soul's oddball appeal: Is it a crossover utility? A sporty hatchback? An inexpensive, efficient commuter? A funky first car? Yes, the Soul is all those things and then some, and its market share has expanded with the demise of similar boxy competitors like the Honda Element and Scion xB. Key Competitors: Toyota CH-R, Jeep Renegade, Chevy Trax Base Price: $22,485 As-Tested Price: $22,615 Highlights: There may be just a basic compact car under the Kia Soul's boxy hatchback exterior -- it's roughly a Kia Forte/Hyundai Elantra chassis, but who cares? Those are excellent small cars, and the Soul turns them into a larger-feeling daily driver with the interior space and cargo flexibity small crossover shoppers crave. … [Read more...] about 2020 Kia Soul X-Line essentials: Makes perfect sense
Crash test on kia soul
Livin’ Electric: Welcome Extended-Use Kia Soul EV
Our extended-use 2015 Kia Soul EV lists for $36,625 including floor mats ($125) and destination ($800); various federal and state incentives can bring that down considerably. EPA range estimate is 93 miles on a charge. According to a recent report from the Consumer Federation of America, 54 percent of Americans surveyed had a positive view of electric vehicles (EVs), and nearly a third said they would consider buying one as their next car. Yet electric vehicles currently make up only about one percent of overall sales. The Soul EV comes with such niceties as heated and cooled leather-covered front seats, heated rear seat, heated mirrors, rearview camera, front and rear obstacle detection, and navigation system with 8-inch screen. The survey also found that the more people know about EVs, the more likely they are to consider one. Obviously, an EV’s inherent limitations – mainly range and recharge time – mean they’re poor candidates for most buyers, but their … [Read more...] about Livin’ Electric: Welcome Extended-Use Kia Soul EV
Kia Soul EV Long-term Update #3: Holding Steady in the Heat
2015 Kia Soul EV We’re now about three months into our long-term test of the Kia Soul EV, and right in the middle of some seriously sweltering summer temperatures. As we mentioned in our previous update, the hot, humid weather hasn’t hurt our driving range quite as much as we were expecting. Here’s an update on the Kia Soul EV in Summer. My own round-trip workday commute is a little less than 20 miles of urban surface streets, so I’m usually not sweating any minor fluctuations in range. In fact, I can easily go three days of normal driving to and from work without plugging in at all. The Soul EV’s cooled seats are a much appreciated feature in hot summer weather, and the “driver only” climate-control button is a clever energy-saving feature. The main thing our recent 85-degree-plus days have made me appreciate is our tester’s ventilated front seats, which are standard on the Soul+ trim level. The seats can get quite toasty after sitting … [Read more...] about Kia Soul EV Long-term Update #3: Holding Steady in the Heat
Living With an Electric Car: Our Year With the Kia Soul EV
To wrap up our 14-month evaluation of the all-electric Kia Soul EV, each member of the Consumer Guide vehicle-evaluation team has shared their thoughts on their experiences with our long-term test vehicle. Be sure to explore our monthly updates on the Soul EV for a more detailed look at the pros and cons of living with an electric vehicle. Damon Bell As far as affordable pure-electric vehicles go, the Kia Soul EV is already kind of yesterday’s news. The next generation of sub-$50K EVs has already begun to arrive, and their driving-range numbers represent significant improvements over the Soul EV. The Chevrolet Bolt EV is the current champ, with its 238-mile EPA-estimated driving range, and the Hyundai Ioniq Electric has an EPA-estimated driving range of 124 miles. Both of those numbers handily trump the Soul EV’s 93-mile range estimate. But while driving range is obviously a primary consideration when shopping EVs, it’s not the ONLY consideration. My … [Read more...] about Living With an Electric Car: Our Year With the Kia Soul EV
Steve and Johnnie Road Test: 2015 Kia Soul EV
2015 Kia Soul EV Chicago radio legends Steve and Johnnie take the 2015 Kia Soul EV for a video test drive. What did they think of their all-electric test vehicle? Watch and find out. – 2015 Soul EV – Keep up with Steve and Johnnie by checking out their Both Sides Now blog. – Consumer Guide tested the Kia Soul EV during a period of extreme cold. Here’s what happened Check out all the electric vehicles currently available About Steve and Johnnie: We’ve been hanging out/dating/married/doing radio and, occasionally, TV/organizing garage sales/collecting guitars and frogs/going to early door buster events/sharing our enthusiasm for Sherlock Holmes, Walt Disney, just about every kind of music and interesting things on wheels/agreeing and disagreeing with Simon Cowell, politicians and even more pompous “talking heads” together since the early 1980’s. Up until December of 2011, almost 27 years of the radio part of our relationship were … [Read more...] about Steve and Johnnie Road Test: 2015 Kia Soul EV