Though Toyota's Scion division has been successfully selling boxy economy wagons here in the US since 2003, curiously not many companies have followed suit- at least not until recently.  This year both Kia and Nissan have decided to jump in on the boxy economy wagon bandwagon offering their own versions. With Kia having had plenty of time to take notes on the pros and cons of Scion's boxy wagons and Nissan's Cube (Nissan's boxy Cube has been selling overseas for over 10 years), the new Soul should have no problems competing in this market.

The 2010 Kia Soul is available in four trim levels: Base, + (Plus), ! (Exclaim), and Sport. While the Base trim gets equipped with a tiny 1.6-liter 4-cylinder making a mere 122-horsepower, the Plus, Exclaim, and Sport trims all come equipped  with a larger and more powerful 2.0-liter 4-cylinder making a more respectable 142 horsepower and 137lb-ft of torque.  Though the Base model's 1.6-liter can only be teamed with a 5-speed manual gearbox,  the Plus, Exclaim, and Sport  get the option of a 4-speed automatic for $950.  AWD is not available on any trim level.

Styling:
  
Kia motors has never been known for creating  uniquely styled vehicles. The Rio, Spectra, and Optima sedans for example will get lost in the smallest of parking lots.  While the Kia Soul's styling obviously shadows its boxy competitors from Scion and Nissan, the Soul provides a unique take on the tall and boxy economy wagon. First, the Soul isn't all that boxy.  Unlike the 1st and 2nd generation Scion xB and the Nissan Cube, which commonly get dubbed as toasters on wheels, the  Soul boasts more curves and rounded sheetmetal that lends it more of a mini SUV appearance than a boxed-out wagon.  I like what Kia has done here.  The Soul is well proportioned with very little body overhang and sensible character lines that yield a more mature look than its wonkily designed competitors..  The only complaint I have with the new Soul's styling is the Special Edition's pretentious body art.  Opt for the Special Edition package and you'll get an attractive Denim color, but you also get painted (white) rear view mirrors,  a white racing stripe (does a car with 142 horsepower need a racing stripe?), 18" painted white alloy wheels, and a rear wing. I imagine many high school students will appreciate the Special Edition's added flash, but it's a little too flamboyant for my taste.

Performance: Soul Plus with optional 4-speed automatic.

Acceleration:

Though I wanted to get my hands on a Soul with its standard 5-speed manual gearbox, my Soul Plus Special Edition came with the optional and unfortunate performance hampering 4-speed automatic slush box. Still, at a  relatively lightweight 2,800 lbs. the Soul's 2-liter 4-cylinder should have been more than sufficient for daily driving, automatic transmission and all. While the Soul's 2.0-lliter does provides adequate pep for jaunting around town, the Soul's power deficit becomes painfully obvious when it comes time to merge up onramps into fast paced traffic, making it all too necessary to floor the throttle just to obtain a respectable speed before the onramp ends. I have driven slower vehicles in this class, i.e. Nissan's Cube, however I expected more from the Soul: it doesn't feel nearly as quick as the Scion xB nor does it feel as quick as some of its less powerful competitors, i.e. the Scion xD or even the Honda Fit.  

Engine refinement:
 
I don't think I have ever used the word "refined" to describe an engine under the hood of a Kia product and it's not going to happen in my review of the new Kia Soul, either. While I found engine idle quality to be just as good as any Honda or Toyota product, the Soul unfortunately suffers from  typical small 4-cylinder engine buzz anytime the throttle is provoked. I found cars with even smaller powerplants, i.e. Honda's Fit to offer superior engine acoustics while accelerating.  The good news here is that although the Kia Soul's engine is rather rambunctious in town, it quiets down substantially on the highway: the Soul's optional 4-speed auto's  tall 4th gear ratio can likely take some credit here.     

Transmission:

 Rather than having a  modern 5-speed automatic or even a  CVT, the Soul gets a less than thrilling 4-speed automatic.  While competing  wagons like the Scion xB and Scion xD also receive 4-speed auto's, the Soul's auto doesn't feel nearly as refined. The main fly in the ointment here is this transmission's widely spaced gear ratios and its tendency to up-shift prematurely under full throttle. If the Soul had a larger and more powerful engine then said underpinnings with this transmission might be forgivable, but unfortunately the Soul's automatic robs too much power from an already barely adequate engine.  Floor the Soul's throttle and its  engine and  transmission work well together between 1st and 2nd gears, however both 3rd and 4th gears are  geared too tall for good acceleration.  

Handling:

  Being loosely based on Kia's uninspiring Rio platform, I wasn't expecting much from the Soul in the handling department. Though some cars in this class handle surprisingly well for their tall and boxy dimensions and dated rear torsion beam suspensions i.e. the Scion xB, the Soul handles much like the tall economical wagon that it is.  Toss the Soul through sharp bends in the road and the Soul exhibits more than its fair share of body roll and understeer. Though the Soul comes with a relatively stiff chassis and mine came with the Special Edition's larger 18" alloy wheels wrapped in all-season performance rubber, this  wasn't enough to keep this vehicle from pitching and wallowing around the most modest of bends in the road. The Soul's also plagued with numb and under-assisted steering making twisty roads more of a nuisance than an opportunity to have some fun. If you like good handling, the Honda Fit and Scion xB both provide more competent handling. 
 
Ride quality:
 
With a relatively stiff chassis coupled with my Special Edition's low profile tires, the Kia Soul doesn't exactly offer a cushy ride. On most road surfaces the Soul's ride quality is kept in the realm of acceptable, however on rough roads the Soul's ride can be downright jarring. To be fair, no car in this class offers a smooth ride over rough pavement, however the Soul's ride is harsher than most.

On the highway:

 Although the Soul's engine likes to make all sorts of noises while accelerating around town, engine noise is almost absent while cruising at a leisurely 65-70 MPH on the highway, ditto that for wind noise. The only noise issue that I had with the Soul while cruising on the highway was some slight tire noise at speeds above 50 MPH; the Special Edition's large 225/45-18 tires are likely to blame. While the Soul does an acceptable job keeping its occupants in a hushed environment while cruising on straight stretches, its small engine and 4-speed auto aren't nearly as happy on hills.  As mentioned, the Soul has a fairly tall 4th gear which helps reduce engine noise by keeping engine revs down at cruising speeds, however it also means that climbing mountainous terrain results in a lot of up-shifting and down-shifting just to maintain a set cruising speed- with plenty of engine noise to boot.  This being the case, if you live in an area where there are a lot of hills the much more powerful Scion xB would likely be better choice.   

Fuel Economy:
   
Despite having a relatively small  2.0-liter engine, that in no way shape or form is performance oriented, the Soul curiously only receives acceptable fuel economy. With an EPA estimated MPG rating of 24-MPG in town and 30-MPG on the highway the Soul does only slightly better than the more powerful and heavier Scion xB.   While the Base model's tiny 1.6 engine is slightly less thirsty at 26-MPG city and 31-MPG highway, the Soul offers somewhat disappointing fuel economy in a world where gas prices are so unstable.

Interior:

Styling:


  The Soul's exterior design looks more grown up than its competitors and the same can be said about the Soul's interior design. Unlike the Nissan Cube and Scion xB, the Soul's interior is styled much like a normal vehicle, meaning you'll find no weird shapes or off-the wall placement of controls that serve no purpose other than for the sake being different. Though I am not a fan of the Sport model's painted interior surfaces, my Soul Plus came with a  pleasant monotone color scheme, nicely textured plastic surfaces, and a dash layout that was both functional and easy to look at.   I especially appreciate the logical positioning of all the switchgear and gauges, including the instrument cluster which sits in front of the driver rather than way off in right field as it does in the Scion xB.   I generally don't have any complaints with the look nor the layout of the Soul's interior. If I were to nitpick I would say that the Soul logo plastered all over the seat fabric could be omitted as could the gimmicky red painted interior of the glove box. All said,  Kia has done a great job with the interior styling of this vehicle.  


Quality:

   When it comes to interior refinement, Kia usually falls somewhere near the bottom of the auto industry's pork barrel. Just compare a Honda Civic with a Kia Spectra and you'll see what I mean. With poor interior quality being so typical of the Kia brand, it was refreshing to find that the new Soul's interior ranks as one of the more refined in this class of boxy urban wagons. Though the plastics Kia has used for the Soul's dash and door panels don't feel particularly expensive nor are they exactly soft to the touch, they are nicely textured and feel just as solid as those in any Honda or Toyota product of the same caliber. I also appreciate Kia keeping exposed screws and bolts hidden from view: this isn't something Kia has been particularly good at doing in the past and something Nissan has failed to address with its new Cube.  The only slight rant that I have with interior quality of Kia's new Soul would be the somewhat rough-to-the-touch seat fabric- I would have preferred Kia use a softer velour type material.  

Seats:

 The rough seat fabric isn't the only complaint that I have with the Soul's seats. While the Soul's front buckets offer plenty of cushioning for extended trips, Kia could have used a little more sense when designing the shape and position of these seats. Sadly, the Soul's seats are fitted with bolsters that not only are too wide for smaller drivers but also too shallow. The Soul obviously isn't geared to need super-supportive front bucket seating, however I felt these seats didn't do the job they should have in keeping my body firmly planted in the driver's seat while driving on twisty roads. I also found it difficult  to find a natural feeling driving position in these seats. Though the Soul's driver's seat boasts 6-way manual adjustments, I was still unable to find good driving position- the fact that the Kia Soul lacks a telescoping steering column is likely at least partly to blame here.  

Interior Room:

Kia's new Soul outwardly looks like it would be a penalty box on the inside, however this couldn't be further from the case. The Soul not only offers plenty of head, leg, and elbow room up front for tall occupants, but also provides its rear passengers with an equally impressive amount of room: the Soul is truly a 5-seater wagon.    

Storage space is also good. Inside the Soul's cabin there is a big glove box, a small center console, cup holders both front and rear, and rear seatback storage along with small map pockets in the rear doors. The rear cargo area is also impressive.  With 19 some-odd cu. ft. of cargo space with the rear seats in their upright position, the Soul doesn't quite stack up to the rear cargo room offered from the Scion xB, however most consumers looking for a vehicle in this class should not have an issue here.   The Soul does feature 60/40 split seats that fold completely flat increasing cargo volume to a more impressive 53 cu. ft. - enough for just about anything you'd expect to haul in a small wagon.  Kia has also given the Soul rear under-the-floor cargo storage that should come in handy for storing small items that you'd want to keep out of view of passerby. 


Embellishments:

 Unlike some  base model  economy cars that charge extra for simple amenities like  a stereo or AC, all Kia Soul's come adequately equipped for the modern world. Opt for the base model and Kia gives the Soul power windows/locks, AC with filter, a tilt steering wheel (it does not telescope), USB and AUX jacks, a 4-speaker sound system with a single disc CD, and a ton of safety features including stability control, a tire pressure monitoring system, ABS brakes, and front/side/curtain air bags. However, if you want any options, i.e. a dealer installed sunroof or the upgraded sound system, you'll have to upgrade to a Plus, Exclaim, or Sport trim levels as Kia does not offer any options with the Base.  Opt for the Plus trim level and the Soul's interior gets an upgraded 6-speaker sound system, upgraded seat fabric, bluetooth, cruise control, audio controls mounted on the steering wheel, and 4-wheel disc brakes rather than the front disc/rear-drum set-up on the Base model. The Exclaim trim takes amenities even further with a standard sunroof, larger 18" alloy wheels, a surprisingly great sounding 315 watt sound system boasting 8-speakers (this is optional for $400 on the lesser Plus trim and well worth the money if you are an audiophile) that come with pulsating (red-ish orange) speakers (this feature can be turned off, thankfully), and a leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The top-of-the-line Sport model receives basically the same amenities as the Exclaim, however it gets metal accented foot petals and a flashy two tone color scheme that, in my opinion, is best avoided.  


Price/Warranty:

With a starting MSRP of just $13,300, the Soul has the lowest starting price in its class by a good $1,500. However, because most consumers aren't going to want to deal with the 1.6-liter engine in the Base trim nor will all consumers like the fact that the base model is only is available with a manual gearbox and no options, the Plus trim is more realistically the base model. That said, a more realistic starting price for a Soul is closer to $14,950 for the Plus.  Though $14,950 is quite a bit more than the Base trim, this is still a great price considering wagons like the xB and Cube are at least $1,000 more with comparable equipment. If you want everything the Kia Soul has to offer, the top-of-the line Sport and Exclaim trim levels still come in at less than  $17,000 with the manual and under $18,000 with the automatic transmission. Being that my Soul Plus came with the optional Special Edition package ($1,150) and the optional sunroof $800/ automatic transmission $950/ audio package $400, the sticker of my tester came to just over $19,000, however if you can make do without the racing stripe, wing and the Denim body color of the Special Edition, the Exclaim and Sport models offer essentially the same equipment for less money.  As with every Kia product, the new Soul gets a best in class, but unfortunately nontransferable, 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty and a 5-year/60,000 mile fully transferable basic warranty.  


Final Verdict:

  With an unrefined transmission coupled with a noisy and almost inadequate engine, it's hard for me to recommend the Soul: even with its many outstanding attributes. While the Soul boasts a  handsome exterior, great interior room, a good amount of utility & cargo, and provides a generous amount of of standard amenities and safety features; the poorly built engine and transmission have me recommending that you look elsewhere for your boxy wagon needs.  If you are on the market for a tall and boxy wagon, I suggest heading over to your local Scion showroom,  the Scion xB still seems to have the edge in this class.   

Thanks for reading!
Amount Paid (US$): 19,200
Model and Options: Soul Plus Special Edition 4-speed automatic.