2021 Kia Soul Review - Dick Hannah Kia | Serving Vancouver WA & Portland OR

2021 Kia Soul Review

June 25, 2021

For years now the Kia Soul has stood out among SUVs and outlasted any other manufacturers’ attempts to compete with it like the Honda Element, the Nissan Cube, and the Scion XB. While the 2021 Kia Soul’s biggest competition comes from in-house in the new Kia Seltos, the Soul still reigns supreme by maintaining its low price point. Interested buyers will have their choice of two gas-powered four-cylinder engines, one being the powerful 201-horsepower turbocharged engine. The Soul does carry (at least from Kia) the SUV designation, but its lack of AWD certainly could be an argument against that label. The 2021 Kia Soul continues to maintain two of its most important traits, affordability, and personality, and it doesn’t look like those are going anywhere anytime soon.

With a completely redesigned exterior and interior, high-tech features, and available turbocharged engine, the 2021 Soul is a marvel of adaptability.

Standout Features

  • Undeniable distinct appearance
  • Interior has substantial accommodations
  • Lots of personality
  • Low price

 

Pricing

The X-Line and the GT-Line models seem to be the best deal as well as providing an even more distinct styling and setting themselves somewhat apart from your base Kia Soul. The Kia Soul X-Line has a more rugged look (surprising we know) that has exclusive Undercover Green paint and black plastic cladding. The GT-Line is the sportier of the two with its custom wheel design and body-color trim with bright-red exterior bits throughout.

  • LX: Starting at $18,765
  • S: Starting at $21,865
  • X-Line: Starting at $22,965
  • GT-Line: Starting at $22,965
  • EX: Starting at $24,525
  • Turbo: Starting at $28,825

 

Performance

Like we outlined at the beginning of the article, there are two engines to choose from. The base 147-hp 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine sports either the continuously variable automatic transmission or with the ever rarer six-speed manual. The turbocharged Soul produces 201-horsepower and has a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 7-speed automatic transmission. When put to the test by Car and Driver the Turbo model clocked 0-60 mph in 6.4-seconds.

On the fuel-economy front, the 2021 Kia Soul will carry a high of 35 mpg on the highway and a low 25 mpg in the city which considering the non-aerodynamic exterior setup isn’t bad. Every year the MPG seems to get better and better so we will have to wait to see what 2022 has in store for us.

 

Interior & Tech

The 2021 Kia Soul’s boxy-ness provides plenty of space for both people and cargo and coupled that with the youthful look Kia has maintained throughout the Soul’s lifespan and you have yourself a very good looking, sporty, and unique box on wheels. Some of the more fun features are the ambient lighting, a wireless charging pad for your phone, a HUD, heating for the seats and steering wheel, and the ever-loved and more and more standard push-button ignition with keyless entry.

Where the Kia Soul really excels is the customization options available to buyers. You’ll have your choice of two-tone paint options and a myriad of interior color schemes to choose from.

Infotainment wise you are looking at the typical setup with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability and depending on trim it comes with either a 7.0- or 10.3-inch display. To get the larger display you have to upgrade to the EX-trim or above, which will also get you in-dash nav, real-time traffic monitoring, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Nothing too crazy to make it stand out against other subcompact SUVs but it has all the standard tech that you are looking for.

Safety and Driver-Assistance

The 2021 Kia Soul was able to earn a 4-star rating with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration but fell just a little short to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick award. If you go with the base model Kia Soul you will be missing out on the driver-assistance tech, but you’ll be treated to a whole host of features starting on the S model.

Key Safety Features Include:

  • Available forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking
  • Available lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
  • Available adaptive cruise control

 

Warranty

Kia’s warranty continues to outshine its rivals with its almost standard 10-year or 100k miles powertrain policy.

  • Limited warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
  • Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles
  • No complimentary scheduled maintenance

Conclusion

If you are looking for something fun, efficient, distinct, and customizable then look no further. The 2021 Kia Soul is the rig for you. The performance of both the base engine as well as the turbocharged option stands out compared to some of the other “SUVs” out there right now. But again, it’s the customizability that really outshines everything else out there right now. It is the perfect car for someone looking for style and function and a little pep under the hood.

Check out the new 2021 Kia Soul here or call us to set up your test drive.

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