Kia Soul Review

Headlining the 2012 Kia Soul is a styling makeover plus a new two liter engine, and a six speed automatic transmission. Basically you get more power and superior fuel economy. the new 2 liter petrol engine is really the engine the Soul should have had from the get go. The 1.6 liter petrol which is still in the range is a little anorexic but the 1.6 diesel is worth a shot too, if you want better fuel economy, lower emissions or greater cruising range.

Obviously the Soul youth market. Kia even uses rapping hamsters to impose peace in a robotic war zone in the television commercial. But it's suprisingly popular with fifty plus women. And it's a really good car to consider if you don't want to step up to an SUV. The hip height and a Soul is exactly right to just slide across no climbing involved.

There's not much load space when all seats are occupied and I hate the cargo blind which track that just kind of flops down. With the rear seats fully folded you get an absolutely cavernous load space with plenty of vertical just right for unwieldy boxes. Unfortunately, the Soul doesn't seem to have been the beneficiary of detailed suspension tuning for Australia, so the ride not exactly the best you could hope for.

If you're a hard marker when it comes to handling, you won't find the Soul as on the money as some of the other cars in the Kia range the Kia Soul is awarded 5 stars for crash worthiness protection. You get front, side and curtain airbags plus stability control. But frankly the way this car tune it cuts in all the time and unexpectedly harshly.

It's not as refined as some competitors when you approach the limit. Kia's taken immense steps forwards lately in terms of styling but also in terms of build quality. There's nothing cheap nasty about a Soul. You also get a five-year, unlimited kilometer warranty. If you're in the market for a Kia Soul, you're essentially in a 2 horse race against the Toyota Rukus.

You could step outside those two though and consider one of a dozen or so compact SUVs