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Kia Soul 2015 - 2019 Review

3.5/5

Motor

80%

Salon

70%

Spare Parts

70%

Suspension

80%

Resale

60%

Security

60%

Equipment

70%

Kia Soul 2015-2019

It's a compact crossover with a boxy design. Its retail price in Egypt reached between 400,000 and 450,000 Egyptian pounds at the dealership. The second-generation Kia Soul boasts a distinctive design, featuring vertical taillights and a large rear bumper. The second-generation Kia Soul topped the new design category at the prestigious iF Product Design Awards, considered the equivalent of the Oscars in the world of design, shortly after its first unveiling at the 2013 Frankfurt International Motor Show.

The Egyptian International Trading and Agencies Company (EIT) showcased the car for the first time in Egypt at the 2014 Automech Formula car show. The new generation of the Kia Soul was designed by Kia's design team, under the supervision of world-renowned designer Peter Schreyer. Schreyer said of the car: "The biggest challenge we faced while designing the second-generation Kia Soul was to maintain the car's strong and unique character, which was the most important reason for its success, while at the same time giving its design new dimensions. The car has become more mature and powerful in its second generation, and its unique character is even more evident in this generation." Despite the great achievement the Kia Soul achieved in its first months in global markets after winning the iF Product Design Award, this is not the first achievement for the car, which shares the daily lives of 760,000 first-generation owners around the world. In 2009, the Kia Soul was the first Korean car to win the Red Dot Design Award. The well-known Kia Soul has been followed by 15 other international design awards since 2009.

Despite the similarities between the first and second generations of the car, the new generation of the Kia Soul represents an entirely new car. The exterior lines have been redesigned, and the car was introduced in 2015 in three trim levels, priced at EGP 168,900, EGP 174,900, and EGP 184,900.

The 2018 Kia Soul is available in Egypt in the EX trim at EGP 384,000, while the EX F/O trim is priced at EGP 404,000.

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Reviews - Kia Soul 2015-2019

Motor

80%

The car comes with a 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder engine that produces 124 hp at 6,300 rpm and 155 Nm. It is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels only. The car looks sporty on the outside, but its performance is conventional and doesn't offer the distinctive sporty aspects its appearance suggests. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 11 seconds and has a top speed of 180 km/h. It also comes with a 53-liter fuel tank.

The engine delivers good, smooth performance and a decent level of power, but peak power is delivered at 6,300 rpm, so it needs to be pushed to extract power. The engine isn't as powerful as the 1.6-liter GDi engine found in the Carens and Sportage, which offer 135 hp and 140 hp, respectively. This engine is suitable for the smaller size of the Carens and Sportage, as a higher-powered engine would have significantly increased their price.

The transmission also offers economical performance with smooth and comfortable shifts.

However, the car isn't a sports car, and it's smooth and effortless to drive. Its high fuel consumption is a drawback due to its heavy weight of 1,350 kg, consuming 8 to 9 liters of fuel per 100 km. It's available with three driving modes: Normal, Comfort, and Sport, and it also offers a fuel-saving system.

Salon

70%

The overall length of the Kia Soul is 4.140 meters, its width is 1.800 meters, its height is 1.612 meters, and its wheelbase is 2.570 meters. The car's interior design is extremely impressive and differs from all previous Kia vehicles. It features a Start/Stop button alongside the innovative transmission. The cabin's speaker design is youthful and elegant, and the two-tone dashboard design gives a sense of distinction, further enhanced by the black headliner.

It features a distinctive design with more modern circular touches than the first generation, along with updated interior materials and increased interior space.

The second-generation Soul's seats are also extremely comfortable, with all parts adjustable to provide an ideal driving position. The seat also moves electrically in all directions for the driver, and the lower part of the seatback can be electrically adjusted, providing optimal back support.

The car features spacious front seats for the driver and passenger, as well as ample width across the width. The roof is also high above the heads of passengers, providing comfortable seating, especially for taller passengers. The rear bench offers comfortable seating for three passengers. Storage space is 345 liters, and there's plenty of room in the trunk, console, front drawer, and doors. The car also has good insulation around and below the cabin, preventing road noise and other noise from being transmitted. However, at high speeds, wind noise is more pronounced due to the boxy shape. The seating position is high, like that of an SUV, and visibility is good both front and rear. The spacious interior has been completely redesigned, giving passengers more head and legroom in an elegant cabin made from high-quality materials. The car also features a panoramic sunroof with speakers that automatically change color to match the music. The steering wheel controls the phone, cruise control, audio volume, and on-board computer. The steering wheel's smoothness can be reduced to the maximum in Comfort mode, which can be used when parking, Normal mode for normal driving conditions, or Sport mode, which makes the steering wheel heavier for optimal maneuvering under extreme acceleration. A touchscreen also makes controlling the infotainment system extremely easy.

All doors can be set to open when the engine is off or the transmission is shifted to P for parking, or manually. Automatic folding mirrors can also be set with the central door locking system remotely, or manually. The cabin's limited equipment is a drawback compared to the car's price.

Spare Parts

70%

Spare parts for the car are available at average prices, neither low nor very high, and are available at the agent, authorized centers, and also from dealers.

Suspension

80%

The Kia Soul's suspension is known to be somewhat dry, but it isn't overly disruptive over bumps. It's comfortable in city conditions and increases highway stability and smoothness. However, the car's body leans on fast turns due to its higher ground clearance. The car also offers good road stability compared to other crossovers. The steering is soft, flexible, and comfortable, but on highways, it offers less engaging handling.

The new generation of the Soul also sees significant improvements in driving dynamics, thanks to a new chassis similar to that of the popular Kia Ceed, which gives the car a new driving dynamic. Its relatively high ground clearance makes it ideal for driving on city roads filled with bumps and potholes. The car features 18-inch sports rims that increase the car's stability on sharp turns when the car throws its weight from one side to the other. The large sports rims reduce any resulting loss of stability.

Resale

60%

The Kia Soul is considered an ideal youth car. With two different colors on the rims and a different roof color, it's a distinct and distinctive car. However, the car hasn't achieved the same level of success as the Cerato or Sportage due to the Egyptian consumer's lack of understanding of it, due to its combination of a crossover and a hatchback, and its strange boxy design.

Its strange design also doesn't appeal to many. Ultimately, the Soul isn't bad at resale, as many models are available for sale at reasonable prices, without a significant drop in the selling price. This is because it's a Kia that has built a strong image for itself, whether with the Cerato, Sportage, or Carens. However, it doesn't offer the same ease of sale as you might find if you own a car like the Cerato or Sportage, for example.

Security

60%

The car has powerful brakes, especially with ABS systems, in addition to the EBD system for distributing brake force. The car also achieved 4 stars in European tests and comes with the following safety features: ABS and EBD only Cruise control Driver and front passenger airbags Triple-point seatbelts Electronic immobilizer Front fog lights Rear parking sensors Strong body that absorbs shocks and reduces accident damage Increased roof and pillar strength The car's drawbacks are its limited and weak safety features compared to its price and family-oriented appeal. Among the most important safety systems not available are the electronic stability program (ESP), blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, and other features.