Bitauto Original There was once a Kia that didn’t appear in many photos, but whenever it appeared, it would always leave a deep impression on people. Now, it has been refreshed, it is the new Kia Soul. I believe that most Chinese people are obviously unfamiliar with the name "Soul", but when it comes to "Soul", it's a different story.
In 2006, Kia launched the Soul concept model at the then North American Auto Show in Detroit, and its official production version was released in 2009. The new car adopts a crossover shape, and the overall design is small and cute, which is very different from other Kia models at the time. In December of the same year, Soul entered China and was named "Soul". Dongfeng Yueda Kia was responsible for production and sales.
Since the Soul was positioned in a niche market when it debuted, it did not have the same dazzling sales performance as other models. In the past few years in China, its average monthly sales volume was about 1,000 units. This is already a very good result.
The appearance is still small and exquisite
In 2020, the second-generation Soul was officially launched in North America, but the domestic Soul has almost disappeared. And just on May 4, 2022, Kia released the mid-term facelift model of the second-generation Soul. Since it will most likely not be introduced into the country, we can only take a look at Soul's "descendants through overseas official photos." "They are.
The new Soul still adopts its compact and cute overall styling idea. The styling proportions of the entire car have not changed much from before, so people can recognize its identity at first glance. Although it is a fuel vehicle, the appearance of the new Soul still has the characteristics of a new energy vehicle. The front face is covered with a larger area, and the size of the air intake is much smaller than that of a traditional fuel vehicle.
From the officially released pictures, we can see that the high-end models of the new Soul have "C"-shaped LED daytime running lights, while the low-end models are not equipped with this configuration. At the same time, the headlights of low-end models also use halogen light sources.
The side of the new car still has a traditional shape similar to a K-car. The extremely small rear overhang size also allows the new Soul to obtain a relatively good wheelbase (2600mm). The D-pillar that is almost vertical to the ground increases this The car has a lot of interior space. The new car also adopts a black roof and hidden pillar design, which looks much more refined.
The taillights of the new Soul can be regarded as a highlight of its exterior design. The boomerang-shaped taillights are highly recognizable when lit, and they also make this small car quite agile. What’s also more interesting is that the new Soul uses a mid-out exhaust, which is better than the current hidden design.It's a lot more enjoyable.
The cockpit configuration is rich and practical
Due to the positioning of the vehicle itself, the interior of the new Soul still has a relatively strong plastic feel, and most areas of the cockpit are covered with slush molding or hard plastic. The steering wheel is wrapped in leather, and the design is quite compact. In the middle is KIA's new flat logo, and the GT version of the steering wheel also has the word "Soul" at the bottom.
The vehicle's central control uses a 10.25-inch LCD screen and has an embedded design. The vehicle system is Kia’s latest KIA Connect system, which includes conventional navigation, voice control, scene switching and other functions. High-end models also have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mobile phone interconnection.
Although it is positioned as a small car, the internal configuration of the new Soul can be said to be complete. High-end models have configurations such as automatic dual-zone air conditioning, front-row mobile phone wireless charging, 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio, reversing imaging, and one-button start. The seats are made of a mix of leather and fabric, and high-end models also have front seat heating and ventilation functions.
Due to the adoption of a D-pillar shape that is perpendicular to the ground, the trunk of the new Soul can still obtain a satisfactory storage space. In addition, the second row of seats can be folded down in a 4/6 ratio, which also makes the Soul's loading capacity more flexible.
When the second-generation Soul was launched, Kia equipped it with a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine and a 1.6L turbocharged engine. After this mid-term facelift, the new Soul only retains the 2.0L Naturally aspirated engine configuration. This engine has a maximum output of 147 horsepower and a maximum torque of 179N·m, and is matched with Kia's IVT mechanical continuously variable transmission.
Similarly, despite the low price and positioning of the vehicle, the new Soul still retains the tradition of the Kia brand in terms of driving assistance. The high-end version of the new Soul has a HUD head-up display, full-speed adaptive cruise, lane keeping, lane departure warning, active braking, etc., which can achieve basic L2 driving assistance, which is very comprehensive for a small car.
We can see through the Bitauto App that among all Kia's domestic models, the best-selling smart car Ace sold 28,078 units in one year. This result is not outstanding for a model that aims to increase sales. , and the loss of brand power makes it difficult for Kia to introduce niche models like Soul.
Editor’s comment: In 2021, Soul’s sales in the United States exceeded 7,5000 units, sales increased by 5% compared to 2020, which is enough to show the popularity of the new generation Soul in the United States. Unfortunately, Kia's sales in China are not very tight, so products like Soul, which are positioned as niche products, will most likely not be able to enter the country. Fortunately, in other corners of the world, the "life" of such niche individual models still continues, which also adds a different scenery to the increasingly homogeneous automotive world.