Kia Soul EV review - Practicality, comfort and boot space
The Soul EV is spacious for passengers, but the boot is smaller than many other electric SUVs
The Mk2 Soul EV is larger than its predecessor, but it’s smaller than the Niro EV it sits next to in Kia’s electric car lineup. It’s less practical than the Niro EV too, but the Soul’s big, boxy body means that it's surprisingly spacious considering its relatively small footprint.
There’s plenty of space from your odds and ends too, while the slightly raised ride height and large windows mean visibility is great. The Soul’s flat tailgate also helps when you’re parking, as does the standard-fit reversing camera.
Size
The Kia Soul EV is 4,195mm long, 1,800mm wide and 1,605mm tall. It’s actually closer in size to the Ford Puma than the Kia Niro, with Ford’s smallest SUV measuring 4,207mm in length, 1,805mm wide and standing at 1,537mm tall.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
There’s plenty of legroom and headroom throughout the cabin, although the middle seat of the rear bench is best suited to children or for occasional use. The floor in the back isn’t completely flat like you’ll find in some other EVs, but the small hump doesn’t eat up too much foot space. Overall, the fact that the Soul can seat four fully grown adults in comfort is impressive for a car of this size.
Boot
The Soul EV has a 315-litre boot, which is about 160 litres down on a Niro EV and MG ZS EV’s luggage capacity, and only slightly more than you get in a Vauxhall Corsa or Peugeot 208. We think it’s enough space for daily tasks and the weekly family shop, and only longer journeys will push the limits of the Soul EV’s load bay. At least the boot’s square shape makes stacking suitcases easy.
With the 60:40-split rear seat folded down, the cargo space expands to 1,339 litres, which surprisingly is more than the ZS EV offers. Plus every model gets a height adjustable boot floor, and in the higher position you get lots of hidden storage space that’s ideal for keeping your charging cables out of sight. There’s no frunk or ‘froot’ under the bonnet though, and the Soul EV isn’t rated for towing.
