The 2024 Kia Soul stands out among the current generation of subcompact SUVs as an appealing option.
The Soul exudes practicality thanks to a roomy cabin that’s bigger than you’d expect considering the car’s modest footprint. Its boxy appearance is outgoing, and its interior features playful touches. The Soul, despite being less expensive than competitors like the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Jeep Renegade, and Kia Seltos, offers impressive features for its price.
Overview
The Kia Soul has several positive attributes. The passenger compartment and cargo area are incredibly spacious thanks to their boxy design.
Additionally, it is enjoyable to drive thanks to its superior handling and simple continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Despite a few minor flaws, this compact SUV is among the best available and gives good value for money.
A unique small SUV product that combines substance, aesthetics, and utility is the 2024 Kia Soul. Its distinctive style, which is suggestive of a stylized toaster, is likely to draw attention on the road. The Soul’s compact size conceals a functional cabin that provides ample space for passengers and baggage.
What has changed for 2024?
With the addition of the new EX Designer option, the selection now includes 18-inch wheels and various interior accents. In order to prevent thieves from duplicating the smart key’s frequency, Kia further claims that the optional smart key now enters sleep mode 40 seconds after locking the vehicle.
2024 Kia Soul: Security, strength, and efficiency
The base Soul LX comes equipped as standard with lane departure steering help, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, and a driver attention alert that emits a chime if it detects that the driver is inattentive or preoccupied.
There are optional rear cross-traffic alert systems with automated emergency braking, blind spot monitors, and lane-changing assist systems that prevent lane changes if they increase the risk of a crash. From the S trim and upward, those systems come as standard.
After the turbocharged engine is discontinued in 2023, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 pounds-feet of torque will be the only option for the Soul. Also, this engine drives the front wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission.
There isn’t an all-wheel drive option. EPA ratings for the LX, S, and GT-Line trims are 27/33/30 mpg city/highway/combined, while ratings for the EX are 29/35/31 mpg.
2024 Kia Soul: Design and Comfort
The upright Soul’s body produces a spacious cabin with plenty of capacity for both people and freight. The Kia design team has put significant effort into ensuring the Soul’s interior complements its lively and cheeky exterior. The cabin is made whimsically exciting and bright with the addition of textured door panel inserts and colorful trim.
The 2024 Kia Soul is more than simply fashion. The vehicle offers exceptional comfort and numerous features that enhance the driving and passenger experience.
A head-up display that projects important information onto the windshield, push-button ignition with keyless entry for ease of access, ambient lighting that you can customize to your mood, a smartphone charging pad for quick charging on the go, heated seats, and a steering wheel for chilly winter days are just a few of these features.
The 2023 Kia Soul compares favorably to the Hyundai Elantra, therefore, the new model is anticipated to outperform the competition in terms of comfort and interior design.
2024 Kia Soul: Performance: Engine, Transmission, and Others
The only available engine is a front-wheel-drive 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 147 horsepower and a continuously variable automatic gearbox (CVT). Our test vehicle took longer than many competitors to reach 60 mph at the test track—8.0 seconds. But when you’re trying to pass someone, the CVT purposefully selects lower gear ratios, and the Soul feels sporty when cruising around town.
Although the Soul’s goal isn’t to carve corners like a sports car, handling isn’t particularly sharp. The Soul offers a smooth ride with just enough driving character to avoid being boring, according to the majority of purchasers.
2024 Kia Soul: Fuel efficiency and actual MPG
The Soul has an EPA rating that ranges from 27 mpg in the city to 35 mpg on the highway, which is not bad for a vehicle that appears to lack aerodynamics. Its primary rivals, the Nissan Kicks and the Hyundai Venue perform similarly on the interstate but surpass the Kia in the city, averaging 31 and 30 mpg, respectively. The Soul got 30 mpg in our fuel-economy test at 75 mph.
2024 Kia Soul: Connectivity and Information
Modern infotainment technology is included with the 2024 Kia Soul. All models come standard with touch-screen infotainment that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to keep you engaged and connected while traveling. Except for the base model, every trim receives a sizable 10.3-inch display; the LX receives an 8.0-inch one.
The larger display gives you extra amenities like satellite radio for the drive home and in-dash navigation with a wireless smartphone charging pad to make your commute easier.
Additionally, the Soul’s audio system is amazing. Although a Harman Kardon sound system is more common on the top-tier Turbo model, most vehicles come with a respectable six-speaker stereo.
Your listening experience will be improved by the premium sound system’s crystal-clear sounds. These fantastic features also aid in the vehicle’s value retention in the event that you decide to trade it in or receive a KBB cash offer in the future.
2024 Kia Soul: Features for Driver Assistance and Safety
On the base Soul model, Kia offers a few driver-assistance functions as standard, but more are available on the S model and higher. Visit the websites of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for more details regarding the Soul’s crash test results. Important safety elements include:
- Automated emergency braking and forward collision alerts are standard
- Lane-keeping assistance and the standard lane-departure warning
- Blind-spot monitoring and automatic high-beam headlights are options.
2024 Kia Soul: Features For Driver Assistance And Safety
The 2024 Kia Soul doesn’t make any compromises when it comes to safety. The car is equipped with a number of optional and standard driver-assistance features that are intended to keep you and your passengers safe. Lane departure warning with lane-keep assist and front collision warning with automated emergency braking are also standard safety features.
Together, these devices can alert you to possible hazards and take action if necessary to help prevent accidents. Blind-spot monitoring and automatic high-beam headlights are available safety features. When changing lanes, blind-spot monitoring warns you when a car is in your blind area and helps you prevent collisions.
Coverage for Warranties and Maintenance
Hyundai surpasses Kia’s well-known 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain guarantee by providing the same protection along with three years of free scheduled maintenance.
There is no complimentary planned maintenance.
Summary
The Kia Soul is a small hatchback that comes in the LX, S, EX, GT-Line, and GT-Line Tech trim levels. Every model has a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. Through a continuously variable gearbox (CVT), this engine powers the front wheels only (the Soul does not provide all-wheel drive).
Related Articles
- 10 Important Symptoms of Overdue Oil Change
- How long can I drive with a bad wheel bearing?
- 2022 Honda Accord