Soul offers pleasing, punchy engine
Despite its smaller displacement, the Kia Soul Turbo’s 1.6litre engine cranks out 40 more horsepower than the larger, non-turbocharged, two-litre unit you’ll find in most of Soul’s standard models. Answering the call of shoppers after core Soul attributes with an added dose of performance thrust, the little 1.6-litre turbo engine doles out 201 horsepower, and uses a Soul Turbo-specific Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) to deliver that to the front wheels.
It’s not just the additional power that’s important, it’s how Soul Turbo uses it.
For instance, with peak torque of 195 lb.-ft. coming online from well under 2,000 RPM, the little turbo engine cranks out maximum thrust from very low revs. This translates into a nearly instant thrust-gush on throttle, and a relatively effortless feel when driving gently.
With the turbo engine, you’re often treated to punchy and pleasing acceleration at the sort of revs where the standard engine is still rolling out of bed. In gentle to moderate driving, the turbo engine needs fewer revs and makes less noise more of the time.
Further, the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) is a performance enhancement, combining internal attributes of both a manual and automatic transmission, but without a driver- opreated clutch pedal. Commonly found in highend performance cars, the DCT transmission presents no interruption to acceleration on gearshifts, changes gears smoothly and with giggle-worthy precision, and sucks up less of the engine’s power to do its job. The transmission works best when driven hard where it’s pleasingly precise, very responsive, and very smooth. Ultimately, Soul Turbo’s powertrain shines most brightly during sporty driving thanks to nearly-instant thrust, a meaty power-curve, plenty of acceleration on tap, and the delightful sense of the transmission firing off gear changes in rapid succession as the tachometer needle twitches away while gears come and go.
The engine loves to rev, pulls strongly nearly to redline and packs more high RPM power than some drivers will expect, though the full-throttle sound is fairly ho-hum. Turbocharger lag is near-nil, only really detectable if you’re looking for it.
It’s all wrapped up on a look that’s pure Kia Soul: distinctive, upscale and busy, with lots of touches, large and small, to keep the eyes busy. Here’s an instantly-recognizable little car and one of just a handful of machines at this price point to pack in such a serious visual bang for your buck.
On board, numerous uncommon styling elements grab the eyes straight away, including the pedestal-like front speakers and rounded form to the dash and console. From there, the accent stitching and unique patterning and shapes and colours help complete the package.
Don’t miss the steering wheel, which wouldn’t look out of place in some sort of six-figure exotic performance car.
Entering and exiting the Soul requires a mere slide to one side, or the other, and the smallest of plops down into your seat. The tall roof and big door openings also help make this one easy to board and exit, even if you’re mobility challenged.
Front seats will accept two average-height adults with headroom to spare and should prove just fine for most taller-than-average folks. The high roof means the Soul’s windows are taller, which translates into good outward visibility in most directions. Plus, with a light and fast low-speed steering setup, it’s eagerly manoeuvrable in tight quarters.
Rear seats are also generous, even for taller or leggier passengers. They’re also easy to board and exit. In back, the cargo hold is smaller than it looks initially, tall and wide, but not so deep. Transporting larger items may require removing the cargo cover shelf, or folding down one or both rear seats.
On the highway, Soul’s ride is soft around the edges and shouldn’t see most shoppers finding cause to seek something more comfortable. The shocks ride a centre line between soft and spongy and rock-hard. The up-level stereo system is a potent long-haul listening companion and the headlights are powerful and offer good peripheral roadside illumination, even if the high-beams could use a little more reach. Gripes? Much beyond about 100 km/h, wind noise seems to seep in from around the edges of the windshield, necessitating a little voice-raising for a conversation. Further, broken pavement can cause ride quality to degrade fairly rapidly. Here, Soul Turbo feels more sporty-stiff than comfortable, and test-drivers are advised to visit the roughest available to confirm satisfactory comfort levels.
Finally, when driven extremely gently, Soul Turbo’s DCT transmission can sometimes see the engine revving with no forward momentum for a moment, before setting off with a little lurch. It’s a small tradeoff for how well this transmission works at full throttle.
All said, this is a machine that should appeal strongly to a shopper after something unique, flexible, easy to drive, even easier to live with, and all wrapped up in distinctive styling and powered by a pleasingly punchy little engine.
If you’re in the market, also consider comparison test drives of the Toyota CH-R and Jeep Renegade.