Test drive KIA Soul: New wave

Back in March of this year, KIA Motor Rus — now an independent importer of the brand in Russia — held its first press conference. The new representative office immediately announced serious plans: at least 5% of the Russian market, increased brand recognition, and a place in the top five. And, it must be said, the Koreans started acting very energetically.

Their arsenal includes a whole range of fresh models: the current bestseller cee'd, the new generation Cerato, the just-released compact crossover Soul, the large SUV Mohave, and the second-generation Sorento. Of all these, the Soul looks the most intriguing, and that's exactly the one we decided to take for a test.

KIA Soul is truly something special. While global manufacturers rack their brains over what new body type to invent and which classes to mix to surprise the public, even briefly, the Koreans have managed to break out of the ordinary.

KIA Soul is truly something special. While global manufacturers rack their brains over what new body type to invent and which classes to mix to surprise the demanding public, even briefly, the Koreans have managed to break out of the ordinary. It seems the company has high hopes for this model — no previous car from the brand has been this bold. Its name is telling — "Soul" — and it seems they really put both emotions and expectations into it.

As the creators claim, the Soul combines features of a crossover, a minivan, and a compact city hatchback. And that's true: the car looks like a regular hatchback that seems to have pumped up its muscles and grown almost to crossover size.

Thin pillars and a flat roof echo the Skoda Fabia — the style has clearly succeeded

The rear with its vertical wall evokes associations with utilitarian commercial vans

From the front and in profile, the new model references the Skoda Fabia — the same almost invisible pillars, a flat roof in the spirit of the MINI Cooper. It looks very good! The radiator grille, resembling a slightly open grinning mouth with teeth, and the unusual-shaped headlights add character to the car. The horizontal recesses for turn signals beg for trendy LED "eyelashes." The rear, with its verticality, reminds one of practical commercial vehicles, but that's a matter of taste. The palette — 11 colors, including rich bright shades. Passersby turn around and smile.

LED "eyelashes" beg to be placed in the turn signal recesses

Original, bright, noticeable, unconventional! At least until you see the Citroen C3 Picasso, which also recently went on sale…

The cars are indeed similar both externally and in concept — also three bodies in one. However, choosing between them will be easy: the C3 Picasso clearly leans toward minivans, while the Soul's 164 mm ground clearance allows it to compete almost on equal terms with city crossovers for a spot on high curbs.

The interior of the Soul initially seems more modest than the body, but it's made neatly and solidly

Inside, the Soul is not as striking at first as outside, but everything is done neatly and thoroughly. The plastic is a bit hard, but the panels fit perfectly. The center console smoothly "emerges" from the dashboard, and the steering wheel immediately catches the eye — ergonomic, stylish, with an unusual cutout at the bottom of the rim, as if specially designed to hold the wheel with two fingers in traffic jams. However, the interior lacks color, and even the Soul inscriptions on the seat backs don't dispel that feeling. But just open the glove box or the sunglasses holder…

The inner walls of the glove box...

...and the sunglasses holder are painted red!

And here's where it gets interesting: the inner walls of these compartments are bright red! Unusual and great. Though, for full harmony, it would be nice to add the same colored inserts on the doors — for example, matching the body color…

Another signature feature of the cabin is a round recess right under the windshield, the purpose of which isn't immediately clear. For a phone or small items that should be at hand, the "pocket" is located too far away. Maybe the designers finally remembered the poor soft toys that dangle around in ladies' cars during sharp braking and turns? Imagination suggests other options: put a pot with a ficus or a flashing light there… However, they say it's much more prosaic, though not without a twist: in rich trims, this recess hides an audio system speaker with backlighting that flashes in time with the music.

In top versions, there's a speaker with LEDs under the windshield. And a soft toy or ficus just begs to be placed in the empty recess.

Finding a place for a phone or a water bottle is easy — the generous Soul offers a bunch of pockets and openings. The glove box, besides its contrasting finish, pleases with a truly bottomless depth — you could accidentally lose something in its depths.

The steering column here isn't adjustable for reach, and the seats at first glance seem flat. But you settle into the Soul surprisingly quickly and comfortably — thanks to the height adjustments of the steering wheel and seat. However, the gear shift lever, which looks gray and plain, turns out to be slightly lower than ideal for a perfect driving position. Another small thing that catches the eye is the not-so-great grip of the exterior door handles.

But these are all trifles that are easy to forgive. However, what's harder to forgive is the lack of a center armrest even in the most expensive versions. Your elbow just hangs in the air.

On the other hand, the seating position pleases with an unusual feeling — it's not quite a crossover yet, but no longer a hatchback; you sit a couple of heads higher than your neighbors in traffic. It's convenient in the city and easier to park. If only there were a panoramic roof! Alas, it's not on the options list.

Behind — it feels like an empty long carriage. This feeling is only half justified. There's enough room in the back for a group of friends, but the trunk turned out to be unexpectedly compact — just 222 liters. What can you put there? Maybe just bags from the supermarket with groceries for a couple of days. If you fold the rear row, the volume grows to 700 liters, but then you have to choose: either passengers or a more or less decent load.

Trunk volume - 222...

...or 700 liters

Of course, as befits a modern car aiming to be a favorite among young people, the KIA cross-hatch is equipped with Bluetooth and iPod connectors, you can't do without them, and the sound here is at a decent level. I especially want to praise the ergonomics of the climate control: ordinary-looking knobs and buttons, but how convenient and pleasant to the touch they are! But the windows are a greeting from the past century: their sharp, chopped outlines evoke associations with the VAZ "Samara".

As in any modern car that also claims to be loved by young people, the Soul has ports for connecting digital media

The instrument panel is a sight to behold: elegant white numbers with red arrows please the eye and are perfectly readable. True, the additional visor above the three instrument wells seems superfluous, but it protects from glare.

We turn the key — and immediately hear a cheerful rattle. Diesel! By the way, only two engines are offered: gasoline and diesel, both with a volume of 1.6 liters and a power of 124 and 128 hp, respectively. Moreover, the four-speed "automatic" comes only paired with "heavy" fuel. Marketers hope that almost half of sales will be diesel versions. Let's see what this forecast is based on.

The gearshift lever has low selectivity, the throws are a bit long, but the steering wheel and pedals deserve high praise

The gearshift lever (we got a "manual" for the test) looks unremarkable, and this is not deceptive: selectivity is so-so, throws are a bit long. But the pedals are excellent, it's easy to dose the force. Special praise for the brakes — they are simply excellent, moderately sensitive and effective.

The engine, increasing its rattle, revs from 2000 rpm to the limiter at 5000. It's hard to say unequivocally about its traction: on the one hand, 128 diesel "horses" briskly spin the wheels and give excitement, on the other — sometimes traction is lacking. The diesel's appetite is more than modest: the fuel needle leaves the maximum slowly and as if reluctantly — consumption is only 5-6 liters per 100 km.

The steering wheel design is original - a similar "niche" at the bottom point of the rim is also on conceptual models - the forerunners of new products

The steering wheel is just a song. Although the design of the electric power steering is similar to the c'eed, here it is tuned much more successfully: light in the parking lot, at speed it adequately fills with heaviness and gives excellent feedback. Tenacious, moderately sensitive, it allows you to precisely build a trajectory and only loses ground at very high speeds.

Another pleasant surprise is the stability of such a tall car both on a straight line and in corners. In turns, the car, of course, rolls, but almost imperceptibly and without fear.

The situation with ride smoothness is worse. On asphalt, the Soul goes smoothly, wind noise is almost inaudible. But small irregularities are noticeably, albeit tolerably, transmitted to the back, and you have to slow down before large ones. It will certainly reach the dacha without strain, but you shouldn't even think about off-road. Even though the Soul looks like a crossover, has short overhangs and seems tall — let us remind you, the ground clearance is 164 mm, and the compact doesn't even dream of all-wheel drive, although curious people asked about it more than once during the test. Its element is the city.

And what place will the Korean "Soul" take in the hearts of Russian drivers?

Isn't the new Soul too risky a step? Judging by how often it appears on the streets, not at all! The tastes of our car enthusiasts have evolved greatly in recent years. We have finally stopped looking only at sedans and are no longer afraid of non-standard solutions. We are ready to buy bright compacts at the price of a mid-size family car, city jeeps that have never seen off-road, and "charged" cars under the modest appearance of serial Ford Focus and Mazda3.

The KIA Soul is simultaneously practical (you can still come to terms with the trunk) and soulful, playful and friendly. Its appearance already attracts glances, and the automaker additionally offers to experiment with individual trim: overlays, LEDs, various body color options and wheels for every taste.

It's hard to judge the adequacy of prices after the government raised duties on foreign cars. Is 599,000 rubles a lot or a little for a half-hatchback/half-crossover with a 1.6-liter engine and "manual", electric power steering, steering wheel and driver's seat height adjustments, two airbags, ABS, audio system with AUX and USB, air conditioning and electric mirrors, but without ESP and side airbags? And if the version with parking sensors, side airbags, electric folding mirrors, heated seats, leather trim on the steering wheel and gearshift lever, stability control and a diesel with "automatic" exceeds 700,000 rubles?

It's not easy to immediately identify the Soul's competitors. That very Citroen C3 Picasso? The base version is more affordable, but also simpler: 499,000 rubles for a car with a 1.4-liter engine, 555,000 – 600,000 rubles — for a more equipped and powerful one. If desired, the price can exceed 730,000 rubles.

The cost of cars of this class — Skoda Roomster Scout and Suzuki SX4, for example — does not differ much from the price of the Korean "Sweetheart". Everyone, as usual, will set their own priorities: trunk or bright appearance, dynamics or comfort.