Kia Soul fans rejoice! The Kia Soul, which was introduced to the market as a 2009 model, now has an optional turbocharged engine. The new Soul has a 1.6-litre turbocharged inline four engine paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with manual shifting.
The new turbocharged Kia Soul now develops 201 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 195 lb-ft of torque at 1,500 rpm. The Soul will reach 100 kph in 7.5 seconds (est) from a standstill and will keep on going to a claimed top speed of 200 kph. Interestingly the engine in the new Kia Soul Turbo is the same engine found in the Kia Forte Koup, Kia Optima, Hyundai Elantra Sport, Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai Tucson and the Hyundai Veloster Turbo.
The Kia Soul sells extremely well in the small car, tall hatchbacks & crossover vehicle segment in Canada. In 2016 it led the market segment with 12,672 units sold. The closest competitor to the Kia Soul in this segment was the new Honda HR-V. In 2016 the Honda HR-V sold 12,371 units.
To distinguish the turbo model from the base model there have been several visual refinements. A Volkswagen GTI inspired red accent line just below the door runs along the rocker panel. The piano black grille is sharper and also sports a red accent line near the bottom of the fascia. Our test vehicle also included 18-inch sport alloy wheels with P235/45R18 tires, upgraded fog lights, dual exhaust tips, a front skid plate and distinguishing Turbo badges.
Inside, you will find comfortable, high quality black cloth sport seats with leather bolsters trimmed in “Wild Orange” stitching. Both front seats are six-way power adjustable and heated however, only the drivers’ seat has lumbar support. The Kia also has a heated sport steering wheel (shaped like a downwards facing “D”) wrapped in leather and also trimmed to match the seats. The automatic gearshift is wrapped in leather and accented nicely with more stitching and a black and orange plastic knob.
Underneath and to the left of the steering wheel there is a control knob for the foot well lighting which you can set to react to mood or music. It worked extremely well for music however stayed permanently blue while on mood, which I thought was weird because I couldn’t resist smiling the entire time. The tester also came with a beautiful panoramic sunroof that made the already spacious car feel even more so.
Speaking of space, the cargo capacity for the Kia Soul Turbo is 532-litres which climbs to 1,402-litres once the rear seats go down. The trunk also comes with a clever hidden floor panel, which can be used to store valuables.
On the Soul Turbo the Tech package option adds $3,000 making the Kia $31,000. The option package includes dual USB charge points, eight speakers, Harman Kardon premium audio system, eight-inch multimedia interface with voice-activated navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, LED cabin lighting and a cargo cover with luggage net.
There is so a lot more to delve into when it comes to the Kia Soul Turbo so make sure to come back and read our full road test review. I’m excited to tell you what it’s been like to drive, how comfortable it is, its livability, the fuel efficiency and why it’s worth the extra money for the Turbo.