2010 Kia Soul

An Unexpected surprise

Sometimes being 1st to the party is not necessarily a good thing. The boxy set has been around for a few years starting with the Honda Element and the Scion xB, both in their 2nd generation. All of the sudden other car manufacturers are feeling boxy, with Nissan and Kia joining in. For the 1st time in the USA, Nissan is offering the Cube and now Kia with the all-new 2010 Soul.

Cute, cool, original, interesting, it’s a what? It’s a Kia, really? A Kia? Yes, a Kia. Wow I didn’t know they made cool cars. We seem to have gotten this reaction time and time again everywhere we went throughout car-jaded Miami in a bright green Kia Soul. There is a unique squared off front hood and angular headlights followed by a dramatic upward sloping window line that ends in the back with an interesting and original tail light design. All of this plus its driving character gives the Soul a refreshing look and feel that makes it stand out from the rest of the boxes.

Kia has hit a home run with the Soul. Its original, its fun to look at, comfortable to ride in and pleasant to drive. Designed by the Kia studios in So-Cal, the Soul is smaller than its fellow box brethren yet it doesn’t feel small in the inside. There is good head and knee room as well as comfortable back seat space for two passengers. Front seats feel a bit firm yet comfortable overall. There are some hip design elements such as the contrasting inner walls of its storage spaces as well as cool color lit speaker grills that can be set up to thump with the music beats. The interior is well thought out, with the center dash perfectly laid out with easy to use switchgear that have a surprising high quality feel.

The Soul comes with Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, sat radio capable, USB and Aux. jacks, as well as cruise control. This is a nice touch in the Soul as most cars in this segment don’t even offer these types of features, even as options.

We drove the Soul Plus with a four speed automatic transmission, albeit, not a screamer 0-60 MPH, it is adequate for most situations. On the highway it did feel a bit underpowered and in need of an additional gear to its automatic transmission in order to make it a smoother and quieter experience. The Soul is definitely in its element running around in urban areas less so on high speed interstates. Steering was a delight, feeling communicative and well balanced. Brakes have a good feel, with good pedal modulation and feedback, both a nice surprise.

One week went pretty quick and we hated to see the Soul leave. We quickly got used to the versatility and layout that the Soul has to offer, not to mention being the center of attention with all the passers-by.

The 2010 Kia Soul, an unexpected surprise in design, style and coolness.

The Essentials:

• MSRP: $15,900.00 MSRP (As tested): $17,890.00
• Engine: 4 cylinder, 2.0 liter, 142 HP
• Popular Options: Audio upgrade with amp & subwoofer, sunroof.
• Visit: www.kia.com