Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Kia Soul EV hatchback (2014-2018)

“The Kia Soul EV is a competent, well made and appealing electric car, though it’s expensive when compared to its rivals”

Carbuyer Rating

3.4 out of 5

Owners Rating
Be the first to review

Pros

  • Lots of standard equipment
  • Practical & easy to drive
  • Good range

Cons

  • Expensive to buy
  • Interior a bit dull
  • Other EVs have longer ranges

If you’re considering an electric car, the Kia Soul EV deserves to be on your shopping list, alongside the Nissan Leaf, Renault ZOE and BMW i3. It’s broadly similar to the standard Soul hatchback, but instead of a petrol or diesel engine there’s a 109bhp electric motor and 27kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack. These give the Soul EV a claimed range of up to 132 miles and recharging the batteries should take around four to five hours at home if you have a fast charger installed.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The Soul EV is comfortable and easy to drive, with adequate performance, particularly at speeds below 60mph. Interior space is also decent and the boot is of a good size, while standard equipment is very generous indeed. Although the EV is roughly twice the price of the standard Soul, you can knock £4,500 off its price straight away thanks to a Government grant. In the current medium-sized EV market, it does seem expensive though: over £10,000 more than a basic Renault ZOE, around £4,000 more than a Nissan Leaf, and only £2,500 or so off an entry-level BMW i3 – a car we rate as the best in its class. There is no separate battery lease option for the Soul EV.

MPG, running costs & CO2

Like all electric cars, the Soul EV costs buttons to run

Once you’ve signed up to buy your Soul EV, you’ll face very few other bills. No road tax, no petrol or diesel refills (obviously), minimal company-car tax liability (7%) and a reasonable group 19 (out of 50) insurance rating.

Charging the Soul EV’s batteries can be done in one of three ways: a standard three-pin plug will take 12 hours to give a full charge, a fast charger should take around four to five hours, while a rapid public charging station will take 33 minutes to replenish the batteries to around 80%. Public charging stations typically offer fast or rapid charging and you can also get a fast ‘wall box’ installed at home, for which Government grants are also available. The Soul EV comes with two types of charging cables to connect to your household supply or a dedicated charging point. A domestic wall charger for home installation is sold as an option.

Engines, drive & performance

The Soul EV is competent and comfortable to drive, although it suffers from the same shortcomings as the standard hatchback

If you’ve ever driven a petrol or a diesel Soul, you’ll know roughly what to expect from the Soul EV. It’s comfortable and generally decent to drive, although the steering feels lifeless and artificial and the turning circle isn’t as tight as a BMW i3’s. The Soul EV’s 0-62mph time of 10.8 seconds is reasonable enough and the surge of electric power means it feels faster than that figure suggests, particularly when accelerating from rest to 40mph.

The Kia Soul EV is remarkably easy to drive – it’s not too far removed from the petrol and diesel versions, in fact. If you’re considering the Kia as your first EV, there’s nothing to intimidate here.

Interior & comfort

Excellent standard equipment, average interior design

Because the Soul EV is a modified version of the standard Soul, its dashboard is pretty conventional – especially when compared to purpose-built electric rivals like the BMW i3.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

However, everything feels well made and the materials used are of a high quality, with digital dashboard dials and light-coloured plastics. Just don’t expect an ultra-modern interior to match the forward-thinking electric motor and battery setup.

Kia is remarkably generous when it comes to kit: all Soul EVs come with sat nav, keyless entry and go, heated seats and steering wheel, a DAB radio and a reversing camera.

Practicality & boot space

Five seatbelts, a decent boot and a reasonable range make the Soul EV a practical proposition

Assuming you have somewhere off-street to park and charge the Soul EV and your regular journeys are short enough for its range, there’s no reason not to buy one. Unlike some electric cars – like the BMW i3, for example – the Soul EV offers five, rather than four, rear seatbelts, meaning you won’t have to make any major compromises if you’re used to a conventional hatchback.

The Soul EV’s 132-mile range is competitive, but be aware the Nissan Leaf, Renault ZOE and BMW i3 can all go further, assuming you upgrade their battery packs.

Interior space in the Soul EV is good. There’s a little less legroom in the back than in the standard Soul due to the battery storage, but by angling the rear seat bases differently, Kia has negated the impact of this. Similarly, the Soul EV’s boot is 281 litres (the standard car gets 311 litres), but this space has been taken from the underfloor storage, so you shouldn’t really miss it. It’s more than you get in a BMW i3 (260 litres), but less than a Nissan Leaf (370 litres) or Renault ZOE (338 litres).

Reliability & safety

The Soul EV has a decent enough safety score and an excellent warranty

Kia is famous for its seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, which is over twice as long as the industry average. It’s also full transferrable, so secondhand buyers can also benefit. The Soul EV’s batteries get the same guarantee.

Independent safety testing body Euro NCAP gave the Kia Soul EV four out of five stars. It posted strong results in its adult and child occupant assessments, but garnered more average results where pedestrian protection and safety assistance technology were concerned. The former is due to its bluff front end, while the latter is down to the Soul EV not being available with autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

Price, value for money & options

The Soul EV is expensive to buy, but grants are available to help

As the most expensive model in the Soul range, standard equipment is very generous for the EV, so you shouldn’t need to add many goodies. If you ever want to sell your Soul, do bear in mind the EV version is likely to depreciate faster than an equivalent petrol or diesel model. This is a trait many electric cars suffer from at present.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Richard is a former editor of Carbuyer, as well as sister site DrivingElectric.com, and he's now Deputy Editor at Auto Express. Having spent a decade working in the automotive industry, he understands exactly what makes new car buyers tick.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Kia Soul EV hatchback
Kia Soul Urban EV front 3/4 tracking
In-depth reviews
15 May 2023

Kia Soul EV hatchback

Have You Considered

Jeep Avenger review – a characterful and value-packed small SUV
Jeep Avenger petrol front 3/4
In-depth reviews
21 Mar 2024

Jeep Avenger review – a characterful and value-packed small SUV

Audi Q4 e-tron review - a sharply designed EV
Audi Q4 e-tron
In-depth reviews
7 Mar 2024

Audi Q4 e-tron review - a sharply designed EV

Most Popular

New Polestar 4 coupe SUV – how is the £60k EV shaping up?
Polestar 4 Prototype drive front quarter
News
22 Mar 2024

New Polestar 4 coupe SUV – how is the £60k EV shaping up?

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
28 Mar 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
26 Mar 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide
Public EV charge point
Tips and advice
11 Jan 2023

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
best electric cars
Best cars
28 Mar 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024