A few weeks ago I spent a week with the 2015 Kia Soul EV and came away very impressed by what the South Koreans had achieved. It wasn’t that long ago that Kia was known as a brand that built cheap and frankly not very good cars and SUVs. I liked the first-generation Soul when I drove it several years ago and was even more impressed with the new battery-powered version. There’s just one problem, if you live outside of California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Texas or Georgia, you can’t buy one. But fear not, there is a Soul for the rest of us that is still powered by internal combustion of gasoline.
Visually, the main difference between a Soul powered by electrons and one that derives energy from an oxidation reaction of gasoline (aka combustion) is in the front fascia. The signature Kia grille shape is actually blanked off on both versions but the gas car has slimmer version than the EV which needs more vertical space to accommodate the charging ports concealed behind it. With its much more limited requirements for air to cool the electronics, the lower portion of the EV’s face has been mostly closed off, while the gas car gets a prominent black intake that contrasts sharply with the “Alien” green paint of the rest of the car. The rear bumper of the gas version is also sculpted to echo the trapezoidal shape of the front bumper grille.
Aside from the color scheme, the similarities carry over to the interior including the unusual looking cylindrical side vents topped with upward-firing speakers. The front seats are both supportive and comfortable. In order to accommodate the battery and its cooling requirements, the rear seat of the EV is shifted forward three inches compared to the gas version and this is reflected in the leg-room measurement. While I didn’t have any issues with the rear seat room in the EV, this version is even more commodious and two adults will have ample space back there. With the rear seats in place, up to 24.2 cubic feet of cargo can be stashed in the back, a quantity that increases to 61.3 cubic feet with both sides of the seatback folded flat.
Base versions of the Soul are powered by a 130-horsepower 1.6-liter normally aspirated, direct injected four-cylinder. The + and ! trim levels use a 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 164-horsepower and 151 lb.-ft. of torque. which is more than adequate to cope with the 2,837-pound curb weight with an automatic transmission. The 2.0-liter is only available with a six-speed automatic but the 1.6-liter can also be paired with a manual.
The Soul isn’t going to be a match for a Focus ST or Volkswagen GTI but it remains composed and nimble in relatively spirited driving. While the EV is limited to the same 16-inch alloy wheels as the base Soul, the Soul! bumps the rolling stock to 18-inch diameter wheels with 235/45R18 tires. The strut front and torsion beam rear suspension offers good ride quality even on the big wheels and tires and understeers mildly at the limit. An Eco button the dash slows the throttle response and short-shifts the transmission to help maximize fuel efficiency. A mode button in the lower right quadrant of the steering wheel adjusts the settings for the electric power steering and gives the car noticeably better steering feel, so much so that I kept this engaged all the time.
A couple of years back when Kia and Hyundai got reprimanded by the EPA for overstating the fuel economy estimates of many of their cars, the Soul was actually the worst of the bunch, getting its ratings knocked down by as much as 6 mpg. Kia has clearly learned its lesson because I was right on 26 mpg combined value on the current label in a week of driving. The current EPA estimates are 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway.
The base 2015 Soul starts at $16,015 delivered while the loaded Soul! I drove stickered out at $26,715 including the $2,600 panoramic sunroof package that includes navigation and an awesome Infinity sound system and the $2,500 “Whole Shebang Package” with HID headlamps, heated and ventilated leather seats and more. Even if you skip some of the high-end stuff, the Soul is a good value, fun to drive, roomy and relatively efficient.
Click here for full specifications of the 2015 Kia Soul
