Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Kia Soul hatchback (2014-2018)

“With a quirky design and spacious interior, the Kia Soul is a crossover that’s sure to get you noticed, but it’s not very economical”

Carbuyer Rating

3.1 out of 5

Owners Rating

4.2 out of 5

Read owner reviews

Pros

  • Better-looking than previous models
  • Well equipped as standard
  • Spacious interior

Cons

  • Inefficient
  • Noisy engine
  • Limited engine range

When Kia Soul crossover was launched around a decade ago, it was a surprising departure from the South Korean manufacturer’s usual cars. The current Soul still retains the quirky styling of the original model, but it is now only available as a pure-electric EV model, which we’ve reviewed separately.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The Kia Soul is a rival for the Nissan Juke, Citroen C3 Aircross and the Renault Captur. A facelift in 2016 helped the car keep pace with rivals, as did the addition of a 201bhp model called the Kia Soul Sport in 2017.

Best small crossovers and SUVs

The Soul was designed from its original concept to have a squared-off design, helping practicality. Its large windows brighten up the interior, even for rear seat passengers and its high seating position allowed for a great view of the road, while still offering lots of head and knee room. The Soul’s tall roof and boxy shape mean storage and boot space is good, but the Renault Captur or Skoda Karoq offer a little more room in these areas.

The boot is usefully proportioned, with its tall roof making it easy to load awkward objects, even if it doesn’t have a big size advantage over rivals like the Renault Captur, Skoda Karoq or Citroen C3 Aircross. Folding the rear seats down also frees up useful extra space.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Styling updates from 2016 included a revamped nose with Kia’s ‘tiger-nose’ family grille, xenon headlights and LED daytime running lights and large front foglights have brought the Soul up to date. It’s a similar story inside, where metallic trim contrasts nicely with piano-black inserts. The Soul Sport gets a sporty front bumper and grille, twin exhaust tailpipes and unique 18-inch alloy wheels, while the interior has its own colour scheme and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.

Advertisement - Article continues below

In any trim, it may not look like the most dynamic of vehicles, but the Soul doesn’t actually give the driver too much of a raw deal. Despite its height, it doesn’t lean into corners like you might expect, and the big wheels grip the road tightly. There’s good visibility forward, too, so you can see a long way ahead from that high driving position. The Sport version takes things too far though, with a firm and unsettled ride that doesn’t feel suited to bumpy British roads.

A powerful 201bhp 1.6-litre T-GDI turbocharged petrol engine brings an extra dimension of performance compared to the 134bhp diesel model, while there is also a 130bhp 1.6-litre petrol – the only engine available for the entry-level '1' model. Except for the automatic-only Soul Sport, all Souls have a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with certain diesels offering a seven-speed automatic option at extra cost.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

With the manual gearbox, the 134bhp diesel can return up to 58.8mpg – a much better figure than the 43.5mpg you can expect from the petrol. The diesel’s CO2 emissions are 127 grams per kilometre, and the annual road-tax bill for every petrol and diesel Soul will be £145. This doesn’t stack up all that favourably against the Nissan Juke, though – with a diesel engine, that car can deliver 70.6mpg and a far lower 104g/km CO2 emissions, with the latter figure leading to lower company car obligations.

The Kia Soul has four trim levels available, beginning with the simply named ‘1’ model, which is pretty generously equipped, with air-conditioning, Bluetooth, DAB radio and inputs for iPods or other MP3 players. The ‘2’ model added a reversing camera and seven-inch infotainment display, including music streaming. Our favourite ’3’ version boosted this to an eight-inch touchscreen display with sat nav including European mapping, an upgraded stereo, keyless entry and an improved climate-control air-conditioning system.

The Kia Soul Sport adds a higher level of standard kit, including a panoramic sunroof, leather and heated front and rear seats, a JBL sound system, xenon headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels and additional safety technology.

Kia owners have the benefit of one of the best warranties on the market: a seven-year/100,000-mile policy that should quell any fears about support if anything should go wrong. The Soul didn’t feature in our Driver Power owner satisfaction in 2019, but in 2016 it managed a 54th place finish out of 150 cars.

The Kia Soul received a four-star rating from Euro NCAP, which is a lower score than some rivals, with a disappointing 75% in the adult occupant protection category. Its score was also affected by the fact that autonomous emergency braking was never made available on this generation.

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

Most Popular

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

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

Porsche Panamera review – a tech-packed sports saloon
2024 Porsche Panamera front quarter dynamic
In-depth reviews
13 Mar 2024

Porsche Panamera review – a tech-packed sports saloon

Skoda Superb Estate review – a near-faultless, practical family car
Skoda Superb Estate Carbuyer drive
In-depth reviews
15 Mar 2024

Skoda Superb Estate review – a near-faultless, practical family car

More on Soul

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

Kia Soul EV hatchback

"The Kia Soul EV is a distinctive zero-emissions car with impressive performance"
Updated 2022 Kia Soul EV gets new powertrain and design
kia soul facelift
News
3 Oct 2022

Updated 2022 Kia Soul EV gets new powertrain and design

The facelifted electric Kia Soul model will start from £32,795 with an additional trim level and a smaller battery option joining the range
2022 Kia Soul facelift expected shortly as US models receive update
2022 Kia Soul EV Facelift front
News
6 May 2022

2022 Kia Soul facelift expected shortly as US models receive update

A recently revealed facelift of the US-spec Kia Soul reveals styling tweaks and several revisions that are also expected on UK models later this year.
Skip advert
Advertisement
New Kia Soul EV Maxx trim arrives priced from £32,445
New Kia Soul EV Maxx
News
20 Aug 2021

New Kia Soul EV Maxx trim arrives priced from £32,445

The Kia Soul EV Maxx replaces the First Edition trim and has a 280-mile range
Special edition cars: the best, worst and weirdest
News
15 Dec 2020

Special edition cars: the best, worst and weirdest

Take a look at the best and most memorable special edition cars
2020 Kia Soul EV prices and specs revealed
Kia Soul EV front
News
5 Jul 2019

2020 Kia Soul EV prices and specs revealed

First Edition model of the electric Kia Soul offers 280-mile range and costs £33,795
Kia Soul EV hatchback (2014-2018)
In-depth reviews
13 Dec 2016

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”
Hybrid Kia SUV revealed
News
5 Nov 2014

Hybrid Kia SUV revealed

Kia aims to take on the Toyota Prius with new SUV hybrid
Skip advert
Advertisement
Range-topping Kia Soul models go on sale
News
15 Sep 2014

Range-topping Kia Soul models go on sale

Mixx and Maxx models start from £18,150 and £19,950 respectively
Skip advert
Advertisement
Over 7,000 Kia models recalled
News
9 May 2014

Over 7,000 Kia models recalled

Kia Sportage and Kia Soul recalled to check faulty seatbelt pre-tensioners
New Kia Soul 2014 prices revealed
News
8 Apr 2014

New Kia Soul 2014 prices revealed

The all-new Kia Soul is on sale now with prices starting at £12,600
Kia Soul hatchback (2009-2014)
In-depth reviews
10 Mar 2014

Kia Soul hatchback (2009-2014)

"The Kia Soul is a very unique small hatchback with a big cabin, big personality and SUV looks."
Kia Soul EV makes European debut
News
4 Mar 2014

Kia Soul EV makes European debut

The all-electric Kia Soul EV has advanced batteries and a 124-mile range
Chicago Motor Show 2014: Highlights
News
7 Feb 2014

Chicago Motor Show 2014: Highlights

We take a look at the important cars on display at the Chicago Motor Show
Car deal of the week: Kia Soul
Kia Soul 2013 front quarter tracking
News
12 Jul 2013

Car deal of the week: Kia Soul

The stylish Kia Soul is now available with £1,000 off the entire range
Skip advert
Advertisement
Kia recalls more than 25,000 UK cars
News
4 Jun 2013

Kia recalls more than 25,000 UK cars

Kia has recalled 25,192 cars in the UK due to a potential problem with brake lights

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
19 Dec 2023

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
12 Apr 2023

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
The best electric cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 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