Are You Sould On Kia's Updated Soul?

by Edward Niedermeyer

April 21st, 2011 1:02 PM

Like the Subaru Impreza, Kia’s Soul is a car that I’ve nursed a soft spot for ever since it became the first car I ever reviewed for TTAC. When friends approach me asking for advice about practical, flexible low-cost cars, the Soul is often one of my first suggestions, and nobody has ever regretted at least test-driving one. The Soul earned further brownie points from me during the Detroit Auto Show a few months back, when our rental Soul carted us through a nasty snowstorm with aplomb. So, like the Impreza, I was a little bit nervous when Kia announced they would be updating the Soul at the New York Auto Show.

Mid-cycle refreshes rarely do it for me, and I worried that the Soul’s essential awesomeness might be lost in the process. Luckily, the Soul looks only slightly updated, and the major improvement comes where it was most needed: under the hood. A 1.6 liter direct-injection engine is the new base engine, making 135 HP (up 11%) and 121 lb-ft, while returning 28/34 MPG. The optional engine is a more-powerful 2.0 liter, making 160 HP (up 13%) and 143 lb-ft of torque, an earning a 27/33 MPG EPA rating. If these engines are more refined than the outgoing Soul’s mill, this modest update will cover the Soul’s major downside (a willing but overly-gruff engine) without losing any of its original appeal. Maybe mid-cycle refreshes aren’t something to be afraid of…

#Design #Engine #Kia #NewCars #Refresh #Soul #Update

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3 of 47 comments

BuzzDog on Apr 22, 2011

This is close to my dream vehicle, which is probably impossible, given the constraints of space and physics: I'd like to own a vehicle about this size, weight and with this level of fuel economy, but I'd like to be able to fold the rear seats and have enough space to hold a few sheets of plywood (even if they have to sit on top of the wheelwells) AND be able to close the rear cargo door. Chrysler's first generation of minivans were close, but for now I'll have to stick with a folding trailer.

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Junebug on Apr 22, 2011

Steve McQueen would make a moped look cool. That color is calf turd brown and I can't wait for it to go away. Bring out some screeming neon colors like Plymouth tried in the 60's, that woul be cool.

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- BangForYourBuck on Apr 23, 2011
  
  My wife and I just purchased bed sheets and curtains this color.
  
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