THERE’S NOTHING better in the motoring world than coming across a car that surprises you. True, we have encountered a few harsh motoring surprises in our time, but the positive ones are few and far between. That’s why they are all the more pleasant.
Over the last few years, six or seven cars have fit the bill in this regard. There was the Range Rover Sport that climbed mountains as if it was Sherpa Tenzing but handled like a sports car on tarmac; there was the Porsche Cayman that left us wondering if the firm had lost the plot and created a car that was better than its iconic 911; there was the Suzuki Swift, a small car from a rather softly-spoken brand that doesn’t seem to like to be the centre of attention but, out of nowhere, offered up a little car that was fantastic fun to drive.
There have been several others along the way and to this list we can now add the Kia Soul. Now that’s something I never expected before I got behind the wheel.
Normally, attempts by car firms to create a “cool” car end up on the auction lots and rental market quicker than the marketing boss can say “new niche segment”.
Concept cars often look this radical on the motor show floor but, by the time they are put through the blender of focus groups and marketing meetings, the production version has become a poor shadow of its former self.
The Soul seems to have escaped from the concept compound and made it onto the production line, unbeknownst to management.
Why else would a value-based Korean car firm deign to offer a great big head-turning family car that offers dayglo interior trim as an option along with red disco lights in the door speakers that flicker to the beat of the music. Choose your options carefully and you can turn this family hatchback into a veritable Korean nightclub – you can pimp your ride from the comfort of the Kia options list.
And that’s why it might work so well. In the US, the concept of personalisation has taken off among young motorists. Toyota built a new brand, Scion, around this phenomenon, and the Soul looks like a family version of the iconic US range.
To put some scale on it, this new Soul is of a similar size and stature to the Nissan Qashqai or the new Ford Kuga. Those are crossovers with an SUV leaning, whereas this is a crossover between a regular hatchback and a bit of bling treatment.
For us, it’s a look that works, but it does take a little time to get used to. Some colleagues think it’s a bit too radical and a bit controversial for a conservative ownership like Kia’s.
Yet there is a lot to be said for the look – it has worked so well for Scion in the US that it was always only a matter of time before this shape and style of car made its way to Europe.
As for the conservative ownership profile, that’s the reason for Soul’s very existence. It’s meant to bring newcomers to the brand and push Kia’s age profile down. With prices ranging from €19,995 to €22,395, it’s also competitively priced for young families who don’t want to follow the crowd into a VW Golf or Ford Focus.
Of course, Kia is dropping plenty of hints that this could challenge Mini, but in reality the British car has slightly more panache than the Soul and certainly more heritage.
That matters to the wider market, but the practicality of the Soul over other image-conscious cars may make it worthy of consideration by buyers in this category. The rear seats are enormously spacious compared to those in the Mini, and it claims to have the beating of its Nissan counterpart in terms of seating space and legroom.
It’s not the design that won us over to the Soul, however; that’s always going to be driven by personal taste.
The reason we fell for the Soul was down to the smart 1.6-litre 128bhp diesel engine and the car’s agility on some challenging roads. For a car of its size and scale, it’s incredibly nimble. It offers up little or no bodyroll, while simultaneously managing to soak up the worst excesses of Irish country roads.
Of course it’s not a performance car – nor is it quite up to the cornering standards of the Mini – but for a vehicle of its size, the 1.6-litre 128bhp packs an ample punch. It certainly seemed a lot more responsive than the official time of 11.3 seconds from 0-100km/h suggested. With emissions of just 137g/km, that keeps the motor tax bill down as well.
This Soul is meant to challenge the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, which seems to be the only car that’s selling these days, so it’s easy to see why Kia is targeting it.
It’s a good comparison as well, because people who bought the Qashqai have been looking for a break from the hatchback norm. They were seeking a little more styling and a little more practicality. With the Qashqai, that’s what you got. Now the Soul offers yet another alternative.
In terms of equipment, the list of standard features is impressive, with six airbags and stability control, air conditioning and 16” alloys as standard for €19,995. It also comes with a five-year warranty.
The jury is still out on whether Irish consumers will want to stand out from the crowd in the current climate but, as a funky family car, there is little on the market at this price to match the Soul’s flair.
We’ve been won over by it and suggest you give it a spin if you’re one of the few with cash to spend. The Soul is practical, funky and fun to drive. Very few cars have ticked all three of these boxes for us in a while.
Engine: 1582cc 128bhp diesel engine putting out 260Nm of torque with a top speed of 182km/h, a 0-100km/h time of 11.3 secs
Factfile Kia Soul
Fuel consumption (combined): 5.2l/100km (55.4mpg)
CO2 emissions: 137g/km
Specification and price: LX €19,995 – 16” alloys, ABS and ESP, AUX, USB and iPod compatibility, air conditioning, central locking, six airbag system; EX €21,295 – 18” alloys, sunroof, high gloss front and rear bumpers/mirrors, rear spoiler, electric folding mirrors; GSE €22,395 – 18” alloys, reversing sensors, reversing camera, ECM interior mirror, speaker mood lamp