Kia Soul 1.6 GDI Review: Happy days

What we like:

Funky and happy character

spacious interior

high driving position

easy to get in and out of

better equipped than previously

What we dislike:

Slightly firm ride

too unaffordable these days

gruff motor

The Soul’s generous exterior dimensions and cube like styling equates to a rather roomy and airy cabin. Rear passengers will find no reason to complain about the lack of any head and legroom while the boot is a reasonably sized one and well shaped. The boot can be further expanded thanks to the split/fold rear seats and there are additional underfloor compartments to store smaller items as well as odds and ends.

Up front, the driving position is extremely adjustable thanks to height adjustment for the seat. The dashboard is pretty similar to the Cerato Forte’s in terms of design. The updated model features new white illumination for the dials among other small tweaks. With the updated model, the Soul’s interior can be further customized with colour and trim options like the red two-tone with checkered fabric seat and door inserts in the car we tested. The red shade on the upper dashboard surfaces and steering wheel hub might be a tad too loud or gaudy to some but it does add a further touch of colour in the cabin and adds to the Soul’s funky and cheerful character.

True to its funky and ‘young at heart’ character, the Soul is offered with a factory audio system that has AUX, USB and iPod connectivity as well as steering wheel mounted controls. In addition, the multi-colour speaker lights that illuminate to the beat of the music from the Koup are also standard features.

With the facelift, Kia has also upped the standard kit that comes with each Soul. The Soul now comes standard with keyless entry, push button start, Bluetooth phone connectivity as well as higher quality switches and knob for the climate control.

With the update, the Soul offers an even funkier and cheerful character thanks to features like its loud and unique interior trim and tweaked styling. The new six-speed gearbox has also improved performance and fuel economy as well as cruising refinement too. It’s just a pity that today’s COE climate doesn’t favour cars like the Soul.

Credits: Story by Joe Yeo Photos by Raymond Lai