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Kia Soul

We get behind the wheel of the updated Kia Soul - does the facelift improve the mini MPV?

Kia Soul front tracking

By Luke Madden

January 2012

The Kia Soul never took off in quite the way its maker thought it would, but some recent revisions have helped to improve this quirky supermini-MPV.

When it first went on sale, the chunky Soul stood out, but wasn’t particularly stylish. Now, though, with tweaked bumpers, LED daytime running lamps and redesigned headlights, it’s more of a head-turner than ever.

A revised centre console is the only major change inside. But some of the dash plastics could have done with an upgrade – they feel hard and scratchy.

The old four-speed auto has made way for the six-speed box tested here. It improves efficiency and performance: the 0-60mph time falls from 11.3 seconds to 10.7 seconds and CO2 emissions have been cut down to 151g/km.

On the move, the Soul still suffers from the niggles that plagued the old car. The ride is too stiff and the steering doesn’t give enough feedback.

But it corners well and feels refined at high speeds. It’s also better value than before, thanks to the addition of 16-inch alloys on the mid-range 2. And even the basic 1 gets body-coloured mirrors, steering wheel-mounted controls and Bluetooth.

For an alternative review of the latest Kia Soul visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

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Pictures

Kia Soul front tracking
Kia Soul rear track
Kia Soul interior
Kia Soul panning
Kia Soul centre console
Kia Soul rear seats
Kia Soul boot
Kia Soul boot

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FIRST OPINION

    The Soul has always been a niche choice, and while this latest raft of changes has improved it in a few key areas, it’s likely to remain a class outsider. The Kia certainly has its merits, but even without the automatic box pushing up its running costs, there are plenty of rival models on sale that are cheaper to run and just as good to drive.

 

AT A GLANCE

    Price: £16,195
    Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 126bhp
    Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
    0-60/top spd: 10.7 secs/112mph
    Economy/CO2: 57.6mpg/151g/km
    Equipment: Bluetooth, air-con, iPod connection, electric windows
    On sale: Now
     
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