2024 Kia Soul EX Colors, Models, Interior – The 2024 Kia Soul is a spacious five-seat hatchback, yet it may be marketed as a crossover—even though it is front-wheel drive only. It competes with the Toyota C-HR, Nissan Kicks, and Hyundai Venue due to its stylish design, efficiency, and affordability. Since the Kia Soul’s introduction in the last decade, its good looks have been its calling card. It has steadily veered toward more frivolous details, but it remains a charming car with plenty of personalities.
2024 Kia Soul Redesign
Although the manual transmission has been eliminated, the base 2024 Kia Soul LX hatchback now includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen. A technology package, which is not standard on the Soul LX, bundles automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control. Other models include a 10.3-inch touchscreen, keyless entry, and wireless charging for smartphones. Kia offers the Soul in four trim levels: LX, S, EX, and GT-Line. They all straddle the line between charming and kitsch but err on the side of funky. We like the Soul’s sharp, confident shape and fuss-free, spacious interior. Most Souls use a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine, producing 147 horsepower and sending it forward via a CVT.
It is capable of economy-car tasks, though not very fast, and achieves up to 31 miles per gallon combined. The 201-horsepower turbo-4 is equipped with an errant 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that judders excessively at low speeds. The Soul’s smooth ride and muscular handling deserve better. Five people can fit inside the Soul if necessary. They will all have good head and legroom; only the shoulder room will constrain the size of back-seat occupants. With up to 62.1 cubic feet of baggage space, the Soul is frequently (and correctly) utilized as an extremely practical two-seater—an anecdotal Millennial Pack ‘N Play. The NHTSA awards the Soul four stars for crash protection, and Soul LX hatchbacks do not come standard with automatic emergency braking.
Interior
The Soul’s front seats have adequate padding and are surrounded by enough room for most adults. While most Soul models include manual adjustability, the luxury Souls feature power seats. While the chairs themselves are not exceptionally comfy, they are a good fit for most individuals. The rear seats have enough room to sit a 6-footer behind another 6-footer, and three adults can fit across the back for short excursions.
The Soul accomplishes all of this while still carrying up to 24.2 cubic feet of cargo—or significantly more with the back seat reclined. It features a high cargo floor, opens wide and features a flexible cargo shelf. We’d expect more from the Soul’s interior if it were more expensive, but for its low-$20,000 starting price, the Soul’s base model features acceptable materials. We favor the premium fabric upholstery on midrange Souls and the synthetic leather upholstery on higher-priced Souls.
Engine
With 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, the standard 2.0-liter inline-4 distributes power to the front wheels via a CVT. Kia has discontinued the manual transmission option it provided last year. We prefer this combination; it does not generate excessive power or strain at the front wheels, and it is excellent for squeezing through city traffic. On interstates, it’s better to plan uphill passes. We’d opt for Sport drive mode to add some healthy weight to the steering to aid in keeping it in its lane, even if the steering already feels heavier than that of comparable hatchbacks.
The Soul rides comfortably regardless of the conditions, even when equipped with larger 18-inch wheels. The top-of-the-line GT-Line Soul’s 201-engine 1.6-liter turbo-4 is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that sends its 195 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. While the powertrain sounds fantastic in advertisements and on spec sheets, there is one caveat: juddery shifting at low speeds. It struggles to shift at city speeds and appears clumsy in stop-and-go traffic. The turbo-4 does not change the nature of the car, so shift quality is not important.
2024 Kia Soul Release Date and Price
The $20,365 Soul LX comes equipped with power features and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but automatic emergency braking is not included. We’d choose the $22,665 Soul S, which includes the active safety function in addition to nicer cloth seats, a 10.3-inch touchscreen, and wireless smartphone charging.