Cheaper Kia Soul debuts

Kia’s second generation Soul launched this week in Australia promising better handling and a more ‘mature’ personality. Priced from $23,990, the one-spec Soul also arrives at a lower price – it’s now $1000 cheaper than the range-topping first-gen Kia Soul Plus.

With some inspiration taken from Kia’s muscular Track’ster concept, styling cues have matured from the first-gen Soul introduced to Australia in 2009. The new car features more pronounced wheel arches which help create a more muscular stance. 

The second-generation Soul is “bolder, more masculine and more SUV-like” says Jeff Shafer, Senior Production Manager for Kia Australia.

Keeping things simple for the Australian buyer, the Korean built Soul comes in one trim only, Si.

It’s now powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, matched to a six-speed manual or optional (+$2000) six-speed automatic gearbox.

The Euro 5 emission compliant four-cylinder Nu MPI engine produces 113kW at 6200rpm and 191Nm at 4700rpm. This less than its predecessor, but in turn, there are fuel economy benefits – Soul now delivers an average fuel consumption of 7.6L/100km for manual transmission and 8.4L/100km for the automatic. CO2 emissions are 195g and 178g respectively.

Kia executives confirmed that there will be no diesel variant for the foreseeable future.

“The numbers do not justify it” said Steve Watt, General Manager of Marketing, Kia Australia. 

Soul runs MacPherson strut suspension in the front and coupled torsion beam in the rear, with disc bakes all round.

The real game-changer for the Soul, however, is it’s new underpinnings – borrowed from the platform shared by both the Cerato and Rio. A new build platform has achieved a “28 per cent increase in torsional rigidity” for the Soul, says Watt. 

Unlike the previous Soul, this one has undergone subtle localised tuning, too -- a more rigid body, tweaked suspension and improved cabin insulation -- to deliver a better ride experience for Australian road conditions.

It’s slightly larger than its predecessor -- 20mm longer and 15mm wider. Interior space has grown, too, by 6mm in headroom and 7mm shoulder room, while entry height has been lowered slightly -- 5mm in the front and 7mm in the rear. Cargo capacity has also increased, carrying 238 litres, growing to 878 litres with the rear seats folded.

Standard safety equipment includes stability control with antilock brakes and brake assist, tyre pressure monitoring, front, side and curtain airbags, three-point seatbelts and reminders for all occupants, reversing camera and rear parking sensors. Kia expects the second-generation Soul to gain a five-star safety rating.

Not considered a ‘volume model’ (1779 sales in total), Kia is confident of a steady sales performance for the new-gen Soul, quoting in the vicinity of 400 units per year, with 90 per cent of sales automatic versions. With a broad customer spread, the Soul will be looking to lure buyers from the likes of Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan Dualis and Holden Trax.

With one spec only to choose, Soul picks up all the kit on offer, including cruise control, power windows all round, premium interior trim, 17-inch alloy wheels, six-speaker sound, 4.3-inch colour touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free telephony and audio streaming and a multi function wheel.

Kia also offers a five-year/unlimited km warranty, capped-price servicing and one years free roadside assistance.

Kia Soul is available in six exterior colour choices – Clear White and five premium colours, Cherry Black, Bright Silver, Titanium Silver, Inferno Red and Acid Green. A black interior is standard.

Pricing: Kia Soul Si
Manual: $23,990
Automatic: $25,990
Premium paint: $620

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