2023 Kia Soul

Overview

Choosing to drive a 2023 Kia Soul says a lot about a person, as its unconventional, stylized-toaster design and memorable ad campaign—featuring hamsters bopping out to dance music—imbue it with a certain whimsy. While it’s true that the Soul looks like nothing else on the road, its boxy body hides a particularly practical cabin, with plenty of room for both people and cargo despite its small footprint. It’s also a great value, with a price tag that starts thousands less than rivals such as the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Jeep Renegade, and Kia Seltos. It’s not the most exciting car to drive, and its 147-hp four-cylinder only comes mated to a continuously-variable automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, but the Soul delivers a compliant ride and multiple virtues that make it pleasant to live with.

What’s New for 2023?

Kia’s boxy little Soul SUV receives a light makeover for 2023 with a new grille and bumper designs. The headlamps have been reshaped and there are also new 17- and 18-inch wheels to choose from. Unfortunately, the spunky, 201-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter engine has been dropped from the lineup, leaving the 147-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder as the sole engine. The rugged-looking X-Line model has also been discontinued.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

We like the GT-Line model, which offers a different take on the Soul’s quirky appearance. It looks sportier than its stablemates, with its own wheel design and body-color trim. It comes standard with a suite of driver assists that includes automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, and rear-cross-traffic alert.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The only engine is a 147-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which comes paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive. At our test track, our test vehicle needed a 8.0 seconds to reach 60 mph, which is behind many rivals. But the Soul feels peppy around town, and the CVT willingly selects lower gear ratios when you’re looking to pass someone. Handling isn’t particularly sharp but the Soul’s mission isn’t to carve corners like a sports car, after all. Most buyers will find the Soul to be a comfortable ride offering just enough character to avoid being bland.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The Soul carries an EPA rating as high as 35 mpg for highway driving and as low as 28 mpg in the city—not bad for a seemingly non-aerodynamic box-on-wheels. The Nissan Kicks and the Hyundai Venue—its key rivals—offer similar highway numbers, but both outshine the Kia in the city, achieving 31 and 30 mpg, respectively. In our 75-mph fuel-economy test, the Soul managed 30 mpg. For more information about the Soul’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The Soul’s upright body provides a spacious interior with plenty of room for people and cargo. Kia’s designers have incorporated enough youthful cheekiness inside to match the Soul’s fashion-forward exterior, including textured door-panel inserts and colorful trim. Additional goodies on offer include ambient lighting, a smartphone charging pad, a head-up display, push-button ignition with keyless entry, and heating for the seats and steering wheel. Kia also allows owners a certain amount of customization, with two-tone paint options and a plethora of interior color schemes. In the cargo area, the tall-roofed ute provides enough space for seven carry-on suitcases; with the rear seats folded—it should be noted that they don’t fold completely flat—we were able to fit 20 cases. The Venue, with its smaller hold and tighter rear seat space, managed to fit just four behind the rear seat and 17 with the seats down.

Infotainment and Connectivity

Touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability is standard across the board, and all trims but the base model receive a large 10.3-inch display; the LX gets an 8.0-inch unit. Choose a model with the 10.3-incher and you’ll get niceties such as SiriusXM satellite radio, real-time traffic updates, in-dash navigation, and a wireless smartphone charging pad. Most models come with a six-speaker stereo, but a Harman/Kardon setup is standard on the top-spec Turbo model.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

Kia provides a few standard driver-assistance technology on the base Soul, but there’s more available on the S model and above. For more information about the Soul’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:

Standard forward-collision warning with automated emergency braking Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist Available blind-spot monitoring and automatic high-beam headlamps

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

While Kia has a well-known 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, Hyundai does it one better by offering the same coverage plus three years of included scheduled maintenance.

Limited warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles No complimentary scheduled maintenance

More Features and Specs