Kia Soul 2018 Concept, Review, Specs, Price

Kia Soul 2018 Concept, Review, Specs, Price - Kia and Hyundai have lengthy struggled to interrupt into the sport-compact space. And to be honest, it’s a hard nut to crack, what with favorites of ours just like the Volkswagen GTI and Ford’s Fiesta ST and awareness ST clogging up the tubes. Korea’s attempts to court docket lovers up to now, along with the Hyundai Veloster faster and the Kia uniqueness SX turbo, have fallen just brief of real warm-hatch fame in large part because of detail shortcomings consisting of indistinct guidance and rubbery shift action. Kia Soul 2018 Concept, Review, Specs, Price.

at the beginning glance, the new turbocharged version of the Kia Soul seems to be gambling a similar type of recreation. crimson outdoors accent traces are evocative of the GTI’s aesthetic, a flat-bottomed guidance wheel indicates some degree of raciness, and large 18-inch wheels deliver the boxy Soul a more athletic stance. It also has a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 making 201 horsepower and 195 lb-feet of torque—now not exactly barnburner numbers, but now not shabby, both. Kia Soul 2018 Concept, Review, Specs, Price.

Kia is keen to point out that the Soul isn't at all a recreation compact or a warm hatch. rather, it’s a small crossover set up to compete with the likes of the Mazda CX-3, Chevrolet Trax, and Fiat 500X. The Soul is already the nice-supplier in that section, and Kia wants to preserve the good times rolling. buyers had been soliciting for two things: more electricity and all-wheel force. With the latter proving hard in terms of packaging and cost, Kia decided to prioritize the choice for extra grunt and make the 1.6-liter rapid engine fashionable for the Soul’s pinnacle trim degree, that's in reality denoted “!” (and said Exclaim, in step with Kia).

Kia Soul 2018 Concept, Review, Specs, Price

As whilst the same engine is established inside the Kia Optima and the Hyundai Tucson and Sonata, the turbocharged mill pairs simplest with a seven-pace twin-clutch automated—no manual transmission is offered with the faster, and Kia’s justification is the now familiar spiel approximately low take quotes and the expensive certification process for unique powertrain combinations. in case you need a manual gearbox with this engine, Kia will fortuitously steer you in the direction of a Forte5 SX rapid hatchback with a six-speed stick. Kia Soul 2018 Concept, Review, Specs, Price.

The Soul rapid’s aforementioned sporty touches are not supposed to indicate that this is a performance machine. Its simple suspension setup is the equal strut the front and torsion-beam rear because the lesser models in the lineup, even though Kia says the faster’s springs and dampers are tuned barely otherwise. Its 45-collection all-season tires and 18-inch wheels are the identical length because the non-compulsory wheels and tires provided at the Soul Plus (or “+”), which has a 161-hp naturally aspirated 2.zero-liter. Kia did installation slightly large, 12.0-inch-diameter the front brake rotors for the turbocharged version, however the 10.three-inch rear discs are the equal on all Souls.

with out the expectation of excessive-overall performance driving on its shoulders, the turbocharged Soul’s mildly sportier demeanor hits its mark nicely. The 1.6-liter rapid four is a happy and smooth engine, with basically linear strength delivery, strong midrange torque, and a decent-sounding engine note. Kia Soul 2018 Concept, Review, Specs, Price.

The dual-seize transmission is a clean operator as nicely, delivering brief shifts and minimal low-pace clunkiness of the type that sometimes plagues these torque-converter-less computerized gearboxes. Paddle shifters are tremendous through their absence, despite the fact that the console-set up shifter does have a guide moving mode. We favored riding in the sport mode, which adjusts transmission shift factors and throttle response to be a bit more competitive; the gearbox may be reluctant to downshift in normal mode, which combines with a piece of rapid lag to make for a less keen mindset.

Kia Soul 2018 Concept, Review, Specs, Price

deciding on game mode also makes the guidance feel a chunk heavier however doesn’t trade the electrically assisted steering rack’s loss of feedback and on-middle sense. however, the Soul’s stiff shape and well-tuned damping make for a fulfilling stability of trip and managing, as a minimum at the glassy-smooth pavement in Northern California in which we drove the brand new model. body roll is nicely managed in corners, the all-season rubber has a fairly high grip threshold whilst driven on twisty roads, and there’s a commendable loss of torque steer. whilst the Soul faster is short on the fluidity and harmoniousness of the best compact vehicles which includes the Volkswagen golfing and the Mazda three, the Mazda CX-three is the best small crossover that surpasses the Soul’s universal dynamic goodness; it additionally offers all-wheel force, the lacking detail in Kia’s contender.

The squared-off Soul shames the CX-3—and nearly all different subcompact crossovers—in phrases of practicality and indoors area. The cabin is airy and spacious, with correct sightlines all round, an expansive rear seat with plenty of headroom, and a big cargo location that easily expands with the aid of folding the lower back seat flat. With the seats down, there's as much as sixty one cubic feet of space lower back there.

Pricing is some other strong fit for the Soul faster, which starts offevolved at $23,500—simply $1350 more than last yr’s Soul ! version with the two.zero-liter evidently aspirated engine. That starting rate brings a first rate amount of fashionable kit, which include push-button begin and Android vehicle/Apple CarPlay; even our loaded check car with a panoramic sunroof, blind-spot detection, navigation, and a Harman/Kardon audio device topped out at a nonetheless reasonable $27,620. As with different Soul fashions, the interior format is ergonomically sound, and fabric high-quality is pinnacle-notch in the sub-$30,000 arena. Kia Soul 2018 Concept, Review, Specs, Price.

if you’re nevertheless now not satisfied that the turbocharged version is the clear preference of the Soul lineup, recall this: notwithstanding having 40 greater horsepower than the two.zero-liter car and 71 more horses than the bottom 1.6-liter model, it beats both in EPA gas economic system, at 26/31 mpg city/motorway.

Kia says that the general public of Soul clients are fee-oriented people, so it makes sense that product planners assume the much less steeply-priced naturally aspirated variations to stay more famous. The Kia Soul is an attractive, sensible, and nicely-rounded field (however oxymoronic that sounds), no matter the trim level. Kia Soul 2018 Concept, Review, Specs, Price.

We ought to easily be upsold to the Soul turbo. at the same time as it’s not the pointy-edged hot hatch a few is probably hoping for from Kia, the Soul with a bit greater pep in its step is a laugh to force and an appealing average bundle with masses of practicality baked in. And enthusiasts shouldn’t worry, because we’re still conserving out wish for the two-door, 250-hp, difficult-center Soul track’ster.

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