Case study: pseudo crossovers
0-100 km/h: 12,04 seconds Top speed: 182 km/h Power: 91 kw Torque: 152 N.m CO2: 188 g/km Fuel consumption: 9,50 L/100 km (fuel index)
An interestingly styled vehicle that stands out from the crowd of hatchbacks (and pseudo SUVS) is Korea’s Kia Soul. Introduced to us in 2009, this was a bold excursion into alternative niches. Box-shaped vehicles are usually unattractive. Think minibuses … only a few, such as the Chrysler Grand Voyager and the Kia (also Grand) Sedona have appealing shapes. But back to the Soul. Kia got it right in mixing interior space with an artistic shape and vertical rear end, while managing to not appear van-like.
As with Minis, Fiat 500s and some Citroëns, appealing colour combinations – white with a red roof or a dark colour with a (much cooler) white roof – can be sourced. While only a 1,6litre, you get 91 kw from a lively, rev-happy engine with peak power at 6 300 r/min. Transmissions are manual or automatic six-speeders. Boot size is acceptable at 248 litres, thanks to a higher-than-the-norm parcel shelf with utility space at 1 098 litres. Ground clearance is not that impressive at 150 mm, though. When we tested three automatic crossovers in 2016, the Soul was a clear winner. Braking was consistently good but, unlike the Mazda CX-3, the fuel consumption was unremarkable with an index of 9,50 L/100 km. Our fuel route figure, using an automatic model, was slightly better at 8,90 L/100 km. If frugal fuel economy is important, there is a 1,6 CRDI with a fuel index of 6,30 L/100 km. One thing to bear in mind when buying a diesel is that these cars are often purchased for their low fuel consumption by owners who travel a lot. This shows up in the difference between mileages notched up by petrol derivatives versus diesel.
A four-year/90 000 km service plan was included so you could be buying a vehicle from an owner who can afford to trade in a car as its maintenance or service plan expires. Servicing should be straightforward with oil changes every 15 000 km. Few maintenance issues have been reported with these cars with even the complex diesels getting the reliability nod for a change.