2014 Kia Soul: Up Close

The original Soul was nothing less than the first product that suggested Kia was more than just a clone of parent brand Hyundai. (Unfortunately, it might have been the last, too.) Its first redesign, for 2014, maintains the Soul's defining characteristic — its profile. Many car designers claim they styled their vehicles to look as if they're in motion even when they're standing still. With a roofline that slopes downward from the front to the rear, a stationary Soul also looks like it's in motion — backward. Whatever the case, I've always liked that aspect.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

However, once I walked in any other direction around the vehicle, I wasn't sure Kia had done much to keep the model distinctive — at least not in a positive way. Something about the more prominent headlight clusters says Mini Countryman to me. Around back, I love the now-Kia-signature taillights, which have a diffuse neon-looking glow formerly seen only on concept cars. I'm less wild about the gloss black finish that surrounds the taillights and rear window and traverses the liftgate. It's overdone, busy. Perhaps trim levels lower than the two Exclaim models at the show will be more modest.

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Kia Soul

Although popular culture has many convinced that the Kia Soul is only for the younger crowd and hip-hop hamsters, Cars.com reviewer Kristen Varela says the five-seat wagon's 2013 version has just about everything a family with children could want. The Soul's boxy shape translates to ample headroom, and that spaciousness extends to rear-passenger legroom. The Soul is zippy on the highway and maneuverable in tight spaces, making it great for running errands. Still, surprisingly limited cargo space and rough bump absorption at higher speeds are drawbacks. "Party Rock Anthem" playing on repeat is optional.

2013 Kia Soul Review

Kia to Unveil Crossover Concept, Superman Car at 2013 Chicago Auto Show

Kia's showing in Chicago next week will be a mix of concept, in the Kia Cross GT, and just plain conceptual, in its Superman-inspired Optima Hybrid. Both cars are set to be unveiled at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, which runs Feb. 9-18 at McCormick Place.

Kia released a sneak peak of the Cross GT concept this morning. The photo shows what appears to be a seven-seat crossover larger than the 2014 Kia Sorento. Kia describes the Cross GT concept as "inspired by nature, driven by technology" and stated that it "hints at the future of Kia’s design language in the form of a premium Crossover Utility Vehicle." We’ll have full coverage of the concept next week from the show.

2010 Kia Soul: Weekend Athlete

Sometimes small cars surprise me by being capable of carrying unruly cargo, and other times I just find myself muttering, “Man, this thing is tiny!” When I saw the Kia Soul at the Chicago auto show, I thought it would fall into the “pleasant surprise” category.

It didn’t, and there are better cars its size out there for the weekend athlete crowd.

Kia Soul vs. Nissan Cube Video

The idea of a blocky subcompact was made popular by the Scion xB and Chrysler PT Cruiser. Now, the econobox category is growing larger with the addition of the new Kia Soul and Nissan Cube.

At the Chicago auto show, Suburban Dad Patrick Olsen got a chance to see the vehicles up close. Watch as he sizes up each vehicle’s strengths and weaknesses and makes a final verdict on which entry is best.

2010 Kia Soul Will Start at $13,300

Today, Kia officially announced pricing for its all new Soul hatchback which goes on sale this spring. A starting price of $13,300 before destination charges ($695) is considerably low, especially considering air conditioning is standard. Move up to a higher trim level and stability control is also standard. Mileage for all models is expected to be more than 30 mpg.

There are four trim levels with odd naming structures: Soul, Soul+, Soul! and Soul Sport. Each model adds more standard equipment and available options, which we break down below.

Compared to other cars on the market, the Soul is pretty inexpensive. It’s cheaper than the Scion xB ($15,750), Scion xD ($14,650), Chevy HHR ($18,720), Dodge Caliber ($16,210), Honda Fit ($14,750), Jeep Patriot ($17,290), Pontiac Vibe ($17,050 w/air), Suzuki SX4 hatchback ($15,939) and Toyota Matrix ($16,290). The closest competition is the Nissan Versa hatchback with A/C, which starts at $13,110. Most of these vehicles either don’t come with stability control or offer it as an added option.

Three Boxes, One Show

If you kept up with our coverage of the L.A. auto show or were there yourself, you no doubt noticed a couple new boxy cars — the 2009 Nissan Cube and 2010 Kia Soul — vying for the sort of Gen-Y attention Scion achieves. Both employ left-field styling, near-infinite customization options, splashy marketing hype and frugal drivetrains — a combination some analysts have said bodes well for the uncertain financial times ahead.

Over at Scion’s booth was a 2009 xB. We’ve spent considerable time in that car, but not alongside its latest competitors, so we climbed around all three back-to-back for an impromptu comparison. These being show cars, we presume most cosmetic issues — like how well the buttons fit — will be smoothed out by production time. That still leaves plenty of room to rate other areas, from styling and seating comfort to cargo room and overall value. We came up with eight off-the-cuff categories to name an initial winner.

Read on for our thoughts, and add your own in the comments section.

Styling

• 1st Place: Nissan Cube

Not long after Nissan introduced the Cube, a twentysomething woman crooned from the driver’s seat: “Everything is round! So adorable. I like it.” We aren’t quite as smitten, but the Cube definitely takes the most risks — from the wraparound rear window to the circular climate controls and uber-plush seats — and, save the awful swing-out tailgate, we think it pulls most of them off.

• 2nd Place: Kia Soul

The Soul is the most conventional-looking of the three, with a slicked-back windshield and modest roofline. The nose is a bizarre amalgamation of bug-eyed lights and plastic inserts, but the tail brings everything together nicely. Inside, the dash is attractive, if conventional. In the weird wars, it looks like Kia played it safe.

• 3rd Place: Scion xB

Novelty counts for something, and the xB’s is starting to wear off. It’s still kooky as ever, but compared to the ever-adventurous Cube and cleverly packaged Soul, the xB manages to look awkward and … well, ordinary.

Amid the Storm, Boxes Look Good

At last week’s auto show, everyone from the executives to the cab drivers circling the Staples Center knew that behind the confetti was an industry on the verge of meltdown. Car shoppers are trading in pricier models for less expensive ones, or putting off purchases entirely as new-car loans dry up faster than the Colorado River. Yet two introductions, the Nissan Cube and Kia Soul, seem poised for this sort of reality: Like the Scion xB, both have offbeat styling and roomy cabins — and if their presumed mid-teens prices hold true, either one could represent a whole lot of car for the money.

At the show, I queried a few experts to hear their thoughts. The prevailing sentiment: a cautious thumbs-up.

“People are changing decisions; they’re buying less of a vehicle right now,” J.D. Power and Associates forecasting director Jeff Schuster said. “It’s not necessarily because of gas prices. In the past it was, and there’s a pretty good chance that it will be in the future. If you look at the vehicle type, it does offer a very flexible configuration. So you get good passenger space, good height for taller buyers that normally may not fit into a smaller vehicle.

“Even when you’re in a down market, people still want to identify with a vehicle they want to buy, and these types of vehicles offer that.”

IHS Global Insight analyst Tracy Handler agreed.

2010 Kia Soul: Video

Kelsey Mays checks out Kia’s all-new funky hatchback, the Soul. He’s always been a big fan of the sliding sun shade and we’re not sure why, but his riff on the standard USB and iPod connectors is worth watching the entire video. 

Suburban Dad and the Econobox Invasion

As a dad of two teens, I'm always interested in new cars that may appeal to them. Here in L.A., Nissan and Kia rolled out two new versions of what we used to call, not so charitably, econoboxes. With all the safety advances now required, very few cars are true econoboxes today (just look at their MSRPs), but Nissan's Cube and Kia's Soul are built to take on Scion's xB, already in its second generation.

Of the two, I think I like the Kia better for my kids. (Full disclosure, I own a Kia Sedona). That doesn't mean I think it's necessarily the better of the two, but I think that, given the likely costs of each car, what they offer, and a comparison of features and interiors, the nod goes to the Kia.