On page six of the press pack that accompanied this week’s test car is the heading ‘What is it?’
I am glad they asked this because to be honest I didn’t really know what to say when asked that very same question by a friend of mine.
Yes, for all you smart Alecs out there I know it is a Kia Soul, but what exactly is a ‘Kia Soul’?
With five doors, five seats and just over four metres in length with a hatchback rear I suppose it could be classed as a city car, but with its unusually high roofline and generous wheelbase others might claim it to be a mini SUV.
I am glad they asked this because to be honest I didn’t really know what to say when asked that very same question by a friend of mine.
Yes, for all you smart Alecs out there I know it is a Kia Soul, but what exactly is a ‘Kia Soul’?
With five doors, five seats and just over four metres in length with a hatchback rear I suppose it could be classed as a city car, but with its unusually high roofline and generous wheelbase others might claim it to be a mini SUV.
Or perhaps its neither, perhaps it is just a straight forward supermini, a bit like a Ford Fiesta or a Volkswagen Polo. But take look at the picture and you will no doubt agree it looks nothing like a Fiesta, a Polo or even a Peugeot 207 for that matter.
To be honest, having read the press pack I am still not entirely sure what it is. The Chief Design Officer at Kia Motors says it is a ‘lifestyle statement’, but that just sounds like flowery artist guff if you ask me.
Maybe we should just go all European and call it a B Segment car, then at least that way if people disagree with it being either a supermini or a city car we can just claim the B stands for bold, brave and boxy.
Bold because of its design. A high bonnet with forms implies power and strength, while bulging wheel arches and a wide track gives the car a broad stance that heightens its sense of stability. Large headlamps, a tiger-nose grill and a prominent centre bumper give the Soul a ‘tough not rough’ appearance.
Brave because even people involved with Kia thought the Soul was a flight of fancy when first unveiled in concept stage at the Paris Motor Show in 2008. It is somewhat odd in appearance and doesn’t have a natural place in the market - unless you’re looking for a ‘lifestyle change’ that is!
And boxy because...umm, if I have to explain this one then I recommend you find something else to read.
I could have added the word ‘bombshell’ to that list too, not because of its 0-62mph time of 11.5 seconds or its combined fuel economy figures of 47.9 (diesel) and 39.2 (petrol), which are indeed decent, but because of the way it drives and handles the road.
Despite looking a bit like the van used by Postman Pat the Soul is infact agile and offers precise handing, even on twisty roads. It is an effortless car to drive and comes with the kind of smooth and comfortable ride normally reserved for larger cars. Now that really was a bombshell!
So the question remains. What is the Kia Soul? The answer: Anything you want it to be. It is large enough for a small family, it handles country lanes as well as it does the motorway, its unique appearance ensures it turns head and a long list of options and equipment packs ensures buyers can tailor the car exactly as they want it - minimising the possibility of owners ever seeing a car exactly the same as the one they are driving.
The Kia Soul is an impossible-to-categorise small car and I like it. Hundreds won’t but in a funny sort of way that is part of its appeal.
It is available with a 124bhp 1.6 petrol engine and a 126bhp 1.6 turbodiesel. Prices range from £12,495 to £17,795.
By Richard Jones
To be honest, having read the press pack I am still not entirely sure what it is. The Chief Design Officer at Kia Motors says it is a ‘lifestyle statement’, but that just sounds like flowery artist guff if you ask me.
Maybe we should just go all European and call it a B Segment car, then at least that way if people disagree with it being either a supermini or a city car we can just claim the B stands for bold, brave and boxy.
Bold because of its design. A high bonnet with forms implies power and strength, while bulging wheel arches and a wide track gives the car a broad stance that heightens its sense of stability. Large headlamps, a tiger-nose grill and a prominent centre bumper give the Soul a ‘tough not rough’ appearance.
Brave because even people involved with Kia thought the Soul was a flight of fancy when first unveiled in concept stage at the Paris Motor Show in 2008. It is somewhat odd in appearance and doesn’t have a natural place in the market - unless you’re looking for a ‘lifestyle change’ that is!
And boxy because...umm, if I have to explain this one then I recommend you find something else to read.
I could have added the word ‘bombshell’ to that list too, not because of its 0-62mph time of 11.5 seconds or its combined fuel economy figures of 47.9 (diesel) and 39.2 (petrol), which are indeed decent, but because of the way it drives and handles the road.
Despite looking a bit like the van used by Postman Pat the Soul is infact agile and offers precise handing, even on twisty roads. It is an effortless car to drive and comes with the kind of smooth and comfortable ride normally reserved for larger cars. Now that really was a bombshell!
So the question remains. What is the Kia Soul? The answer: Anything you want it to be. It is large enough for a small family, it handles country lanes as well as it does the motorway, its unique appearance ensures it turns head and a long list of options and equipment packs ensures buyers can tailor the car exactly as they want it - minimising the possibility of owners ever seeing a car exactly the same as the one they are driving.
The Kia Soul is an impossible-to-categorise small car and I like it. Hundreds won’t but in a funny sort of way that is part of its appeal.
It is available with a 124bhp 1.6 petrol engine and a 126bhp 1.6 turbodiesel. Prices range from £12,495 to £17,795.
By Richard Jones
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