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Now the Soul is in its third
generation, freshly revitalized
with its most drastic change
yet but still retaining its
box-on-wheels figure. Nissan,
Scion, and Toyota have all
abandoned their boxy hatches,
but Kia still has hopes for the
Soul. We’ve added a 2020 Kia
Soul EX to our long-term fleet
to see if it still has enough,
ahem, soul to stand out in a
segment that’s saturated with
solid options.
We opted for the EX trim,
one step below the range-
topping GT-Line Turbo, and
sprang for the Platinum Gold
exterior, a $345 option. The
EX starts at $23,685. It comes
with the standard 2.0-liter
four-cylinder engine pumping
out a meager 147 horsepowermated to a CVT, or Intelli-
gent Variable Transmission
(IVT), as Kia calls it. The EX
comes with a substantial list
of safety features, including
forward collision avoidance,
blind-spot collision warning,
rear cross-traffic collision
avoidance assist, lane
keep, and driver attention
warning. Convenience and
luxury features include a
large 10.3-inch touchscreen
display, dual-zone climate
control, a leather-wrapped
steering wheel and shifter, aW
hen the Kia Soul was
first introduced to
the U.S. via dancing
hamsters, it was a hit. Its
combination of funky styling,
eye-catching colors, and
fun marketing made it Kia’s
best-seller.power-adjustable driver’s seat,
heated front seats and outside
mirrors, and a wireless phone
charger. Other features that
also come standard in lower-
trim Souls include hill-start
assist control, tire pressure
monitoring, Android Auto and
Apple CarPlay, keyless entry,
Bluetooth wireless connec-
tivity, cruise control, 60/40
split rear seats, and auto-on/
off headlights.
That’s a healthy list, but
to give the Soul some extra
pizzazz we also ticked the box
for the $1,500 EX Designer
Collection package, which
adds 18-inch alloy wheels;
LED headlights, foglights,
and taillights; and leatherette
seat trim. We rounded out
the package with carpeted
floormats for $130 and a cargo
tray for $95. Total: $25,755.
I can’t give a reliable first
impression just yet because
I’m still mourning the depar-
ture of my beloved BMW X3
M40i (verdict to come). To
help ease the pain of moving
from a luxury compact SUV
to an affordable subcompact,
I’m hoping the Soul still
retains enough of the mojo
that made its previous itera-
tions so popular.
I will say that I’m dreading
going from 355 hp down to 147.Updates on our long-term fleet
“I put my heart and this Soul into
my work, and have lost my mind
in the process.” Robin TrajanoEPA CITY/HWY/COMB Fuel Econ:
25/35/29 mpgARRIVAL: 2 020 Kia Soul
Base price $23,685 As tested $25,755ACURA RDX76 MOTORTREND.COM APRIL 2020The Soul's well-equipped
(and well-designed) cabin is
one of the many things that
made it a Car of the Year finalist.