2014 Kia Soul | new car review

Looks

The Kia Soul is the brainchild of Mike Torpey and since its unveiling in 2008, it has always stood out due to its outrageous design. The 2014 model receives a minor makeover and the results are quite pleasing. With a new set of eyes that wrap around the sides, eyebrows composed of LED’s, a reworked and slimmer upper grille and a protruding lower mesh grille, the Soul no longer looks revolting – from the front at least. With brake lights that resemble watermelon slices and a hideous black line dividing the boot horizontally, the rear end is horrendous.

Feels

The Soul no longer flaunts an interior that is colour coded to the exterior, and that means it can finally be taken a little more seriously. The 2014 Soul welcomes more conservative styling with piano black trim, a neat multimedia screen, and an overload of buttons on the steering wheel. Due to the sloping roof line, head room is slightly compromised in the rear seats, but seating up to 5 people is something the Soul handles rather well.

Engineering

The overgrown Korean hatchback is equipped with Hill-start Assist Control that sustains the brakes for two seconds during the brake-to-accelerator transition to prevent roll-back and slipping when on a steep slope. Additionally, a feature the audio junkies will love is the Reflecting Speaker Lamp. Essentially, it is an illuminated halo around the speaker that varies brightness depending on the volume, bass tone and beat.

What’s on offer?

The Kia Soul is available in two flavours. The 1.6 litre engine puts out 128 horsepower and 157 Nm of torque, while being mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission. The slightly more exciting 2.0 litre engine found in the top of the line Soul is good for 164 horsepower and 200 Nm of torque while being mated to the aforementioned 6 speed transmission.

Summing it…

With a price tag ranging from AED 49,900 – AED 62,900 and speakers that light up to create a mobile nightclub, the 2014 Kia Soul is likely to be a hit with the younger generation. At least with those who can get over the rear end.