Canadian Auto Review - 2014 Kia Soul Photos

2014 Kia Soul

Photography by: Sammy Chan

Press Material

October 11, 2013- Kia Canada Inc. revealed today pricing and content detail of the all-new 2014 Kia Soul urban hatchback. The vehicle will be arriving at Canadian showrooms later this year in the month of December.

The Soul enters the 2014 model year with an all-new take on design, driving dynamics and desirable features that totally transform one of Kia most iconic vehicles into an urban vehicle that is as comfortable in the city as it is on the open highway. The signature Soul design is instantly recognizable, yet thoroughly fresh, with more than a passing nod to the hot Tracker concept that was unveiled last year. Riding on a new chassis that is stiffer, longer and wider, the all-new Soul has grown up without losing its edge, while reducing Noise Vibration Harshness (NVH) levels. A flatter torque curve and significant suspension upgrades make the 2014 Soul a nimble and agile companion in congested urban environments. Honouring Soul owners' fierce individualism, three unique trim levels (LX, EX and SX) will be available when Canadian sales are expected to begin in December of this year.

The second generation Soul urban hatchback elevates the iconic vehicle to new heights without compromising the original spirit and fun to drive vehicle that it was originally intended to be, said Robert Staffieri, Director of Marketing, Kia Canada Inc. Striking exterior design cues from the Trackster concept coupled with a premium interior cabin, along with a vastly improved ride and handling experience, all contribute to an impressive and well thought out new iteration.

The all-new Soul displays its own individuality through a blend of funky personality, fun-to-drive characteristics and premium upgrades intended to set it apart from the pack. A playful colour palette, including Soul-exclusive colors such as Solar Yellow, Acid Green and Inferno Red, along with sporty new wheel designs, pump up the dynamic equation that has made Soul such a dominate competitor in the compact car segment.

Keeping what made the current Soul special while addressing areas for improvement was no easy task. As the design team at Kia's California studio began putting virtual pen to virtual paper, engineers in the U.S. and Korea focused on making Soul fun to drive. Starting with a solid foundation was key, and the new body enjoys a 28.7 per cent increase in torsional rigidity over the 2013 Soul. With the hard points set, the all-new Soul was boiled down to three focus areas: maintaining the iconic design while adding modern cues, providing premium features and content and improving driving dynamics to make the 2014 Soul more desirable than ever.

Well-known for the close link between its concept vehicles and production models, Kia Motors had an outstanding inspiration point for the 2014 Soul. When the wild Trackster concept made its debut in 2012, Soul enthusiasts and pundits alike urged Kia to turn the aggressively fun fantasy into reality. With 18 months from design freeze to production, the stage was set for the all-new Soul, and many of the concept's dramatic design cues can be found in the production vehicle.

The upright stance, squared shoulders and distinctive fender flares are instantly recognizable as Soul. Combining a longer 2,570-millimetre wheelbase (up 20 millimetres), overall width that; broadened to 1,800 millimetres (increased by 15 millimetres) and a reduced overall height of 1,600 millimeters (decreased by 10 millimetres), adds a more aggressive edge to the all-new Soul; appearance. Likewise, the wrap-around greenhouse, high-mounted tail lights and upright stance are all hallmark design elements. Premium touches such as available LED front positioning lights and rear LED's Light Barlights help connect Soul to siblings within the Kia lineup that share similar design cues, such as the new 2014 Sorento SUV, all-new 2014 Cadenza premium sedan and 2014 Forte sedan.

Exterior Trackster similarities are easy to spot. The large trapezoidal lower air intake is nearly a direct carryover from the concept, and the location of the standard fog lights down low and pushed to the leading edges mirror those found on the Trackster. Kia's signature grille is present, but it; been reworked to more closely resemble the concept. Adding a touch of flare, the unique floating body-colour panel inset into the lift gate originated with the Trackster as well. Subtle enhancements include a wider (by 61 millimetres over the previous Soul) opening for the lift gate, allowing for easier loading.

Overall, the design team paid particular attention to instilling a more premium look and feel to the 2014 Soul; interior. Liberal applications of available soft-touch materials are found on the instrument panel, centre console and door panels. Details such as available leather trimmed seating with improved cushioning, lateral and thigh support, and the use of high-gloss piano-black trim pieces on the centre console, doors and dash elevate the Soul's interior to new levels of sophistication.

Front and centre is the instrument cluster with deeply recessed gauges. Along the door panels, sculpted circles incorporate the power windows and door locks. The centre console features a round gear shift knob and push-button start (its location exclusive to Soul in the Kia lineup), which also are direct carryovers from Tracker. The front door-mounted speakers mirror the circular, high-mounted floating tweeters. The steering-wheel mounted controls are housed in Soul-exclusive circular groupings along the lower spokes with the buttons for the audio system and trip computer falling readily to the thumbs, enabling the driver; hands to remain on the wheel at all times.

An attractive package can be a let-down if the contents don; deliver. Fortunately, the all-new 2014 Soul is set to delight right out of the gate. Most prominent in the new instrument panel is the available eight-inch touch screen multimedia interface with voice-activated navigation ?the largest ever offered on Soul. Furthermore, the available larger Supervision Cluster/TFT LCD colour screen found in the instrument cluster now displays user settings and turn-by-turn directions from the navigation system, helping to keep the driver; eyes looking forward.

In addition to all this technology, driver and passengers will enjoy a larger and significantly quieter cabin with 1,040 millimetres of front leg room, increased rear leg room (up 4 millimetres to 994), 1,006 millimetres of front headroom and front seat shoulder room (up 7 millimetres to 1,410 millimetres). The all-new Soul also offers a 13-millimetre lower hip point and a step-in height that; reduced 5 millimetres, allowing for even easier ingress and egress. Liberal use of expansion foam (replacing the previously used block foam) thoroughly fills body cavities, reducing outside wind and road noise. A reinforced isolation pad in the cargo area and poly-urethane-layered carpet helps reduce overall interior noise levels by approximately three decibels.

Built on an all-new chassis that is nearly 29 per cent stiffer than before, the Soul; stout skeleton provides the base for a vehicle that places a premium on driving dynamics. Engineers put their efforts in strengthening the body at key connection points along the cowl, upper and lower B-pillars, cross members, and at the C-pillars. An impressive 66 per cent of the chassis utilizes either Ultra High Strength Steel (35 per cent) or High Strength Steel (31 per cent). The A-pillar is 20-millimetres narrower, allowing for improved outward visibility, but through the use of Ultra High Strength Steel, it; lighter and stronger than that of the outgoing model. The application of structural adhesive around the door openings and along the roof also helps improve torsional rigidity.

Significant attention has been focused on improving the all-new Soul's ride and handling through heavily revised front and rear suspension setups. The front subframe utilizes four bushings (none are used on the previous Soul) to reduce ride harshness and impact booms over rough pavement. The stabilizer bar has moved rearward on the McPherson strut front suspension, while the steering box has moved forward, lending better balance and subsequently improved handling.

Relocating the steering box has also resulted in a better on-centre feel. The new one-piece steering gear housing is stronger than the two-piece unit used on the outgoing Soul, improving steering response and reducing impacts felt through the wheel. Standard across the Soul line is a new FlexSteer™ system, which allows the driver to select from three distinct steering settings: Comfort, Normal and Sport.

The shock absorbers on the torsion bar rear suspension have been turned vertically ?they were positioned at an angle on the previous Soul ?and lengthened. This arrangement allows for more suspension travel, improving ride comfort.

Motivation for the Base Soul is delivered by a gasoline direct injection (GDI) 130-horsepower at 6,300 rpm, 1.6-litre all-aluminum DOHC four-cylinder engine. The GAMMA engine produces 118 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,850 rpm. The EX and higher models enjoy the more powerful 2.0-litre NU power plant. For the all-new 2014 Soul, the engine is updated with GDI technology. Power is rated at 164 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 151 lb.-ft. of torque at a 4,000 rpm. Both engines have been tuned to provide more low-end torque (nine per cent more torque at 1,500 rpm on the 2.0-litre; five per cent more on 1.6-litre) for an improved around-town driving experience. The 1.6-litre engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission or, optionally, to a six-speed automatic. The 2.0-litre engine models are available exclusively with the six-speed automatic.

2014 Soul Trims and Content

LX Manual Transmission: $16,995

Engine: 1.6-litre GDI four-cylinder; 130 horsepower @ 6,300 rpm; 118 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,850 rpm; Transmission: 6-speed manual

Standard features include: 1.6-litre GDI 4-cylinder engine, 6-speed manual transmission, 16?steel wheels with covers, 4-wheel disc brakes, 6 airbags (advanced dual front, dual front side and dual curtain), Electric Power Steering (EPS), FlexSteer™ system, Anti-lock brakes (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Hill Assist Control (HAC), Tilt and telescopic steering wheel, steering wheel mounted audio controls, trip computer, sunglass holder, map lights, front and rear mud guards, luggage power outlet, rear centre armrest with cup holders, centre console armrest with storage, body-coloured bumpers, body-coloured side view mirrors, body-coloured door handles, fog lights, cloth seats, 60/40 split rear seats, height adjusting driver seat, power door locks, impact-sensing door unlock, power windows, obstacle-detecting front windows, express up/down front windows, power side view mirrors, heated side view mirrors, AM/FM/MP3/Satellite stereo, AUX & USB input ports, Bluetooth wireless technology, 6 speakers, heated windshield wipers, solar glass and privacy glass.

LX+ Manual Transmission: $18,595

Engine: 1.6-litre GDI four-cylinder; 130 horsepower @ 6,300 rpm; 118 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,850 rpm; Transmission: 6-speed manual

Standard features include (in addition to LX Manual Transmission): 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, remote keyless entry, steering wheel mounted cruise control, heated seats, LED side view mirror signal repeaters and a gloss black fender with Soul logo.

LX Automatic Transmission: $19,495

Engine: 1.6-litre GDI four-cylinder; 130 horsepower @ 6,300 rpm; 118 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,850 rpm; Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Standard features include (in addition to LX Manual Transmission): Active ECO, air conditioning and remote keyless entry.

EX Automatic Transmission: $20,795