2010 Kia Soul Review

Overview

The 2010 Kia Soul is a trendy five-passenger urban crossover vehicle (UCV) available in four trim levels Base Soul, Soul Sport, Soul! and Soul with 60 plus accessories. A bold statement of Kia's determination as one of the world's top automotive companies, the all new 2010 Kia Soul is destined to appeal to a whole new group of consumers.

Power and performance

The front-wheel drive Base Soul is powered by a 122-hp 1.6-liter four cylinder engine with power delivery through a five-speed manual transmission only. The Soul , Soul!, and Soul Sport are powered by a 2.0-liter four cylinder engine rated at 142 horsepower with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. The Base Soul with a five speed manual transmission delivers 26 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway. The other trims with the same transmission deliver 24 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. A four-speed automatic transmission that delivers 24 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway is optional on the Soul , Soul!, and Soul Sport trims. The Base Soul can tow up to 2560 lbs while the other models can tow close to 2800 lbs. With the optional four-speed automatic transmission, the 2010 Kia Soul can tow up to 2820 lbs.

Body and styling

The Base Soul comes with standard 15-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers. The Soul trim has 16-inch alloy wheels while the Soul! and Soul Sport trims have 18-inch alloy wheels. Body color bumpers; body color front and rear fascias with black inserts; chrome accented grille; clear-lens headlights; auto-off headlights; variable intermittent windshield wipers; and roof-mounted antenna are some standard exterior features on the 2010 Soul. Air conditioning; power windows; 60/40-split folding rear seats; six-way adjustable driver's seat; power door locks; tilt steering column; tachometer; day/night interior rearview mirror; front door map pockets with bottle holder; rear door bottle holder; dual level glove box; dual door bottle holder; and USB auxiliary input jacks are some standard features on the inside of the 2010 Kia Soul. The Base Soul comes with an AM/FM/CD/MP3/SAT audio system with four speakers. The Soul features an AM/FM/CD/MP3/SAT audio system with six speakers and I/P mounted tweeters. The Soul! and Soul Sport come with an AM/FM/CD/MP3/SAT audio system with six speakers; I/P mounted tweeters; center speaker; subwoofer; 315-watt external amplifier; and speaker lights. An Audio Upgrade Package with center speaker; subwoofer; 315-watt external amplifier; and speaker lights is optional on the Soul and standard on the Soul! and Soul Sport trims.

Safety Features

Advanced driver and passenger front airbags; side curtain airbags; front active headrests; four-wheel disc brakes; four-sensor, four-channel, anti-lock brake system; electronic stability control; tire pressure monitoring system; and LATCH are a few of the standard safety features on the 2010 Kia Soul.