2024 Kia Soul Review

You can look at this car from any angle, and you’ll realize it is well designed. Called a subcompact SUV, the Soul’s unique build allows it to treat passengers better than its rivals.

The second row, where wiggle room is so important, is quite spacious. There’s 39.5 inches of headroom and 38.8 inches of legroom. That’s an adult-sized backseat, and it’s sure to make teens happier.

The 2024 Kia Soul surpasses its rivals in cargo area and versatility. At first glance, the Soul sounds like others in its class. There’s an initial 18.7 cubic feet of cargo space. However, the owner can adjust the floor to allow for 23.4 or even 24.2 cubic feet of space in the cargo hold. Useful features include bag hooks and dedicated lights.

There’s even more space with the second row folded. Owners can claim up to 62.1 cu ft for their gear. That’s enough space for a tent, a bike or lots of boxes.

With its starting price so low, the Kia Soul LX could be barebones, but it is actually very well equipped. The driver’s cockpit includes an 8-inch touchscreen and a 6-speaker audio system. The multimedia system includes Bluetooth and HD Radio. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allow your smartphone to interface directly with the system.

Drivers enjoy an adjustable seat, keyless entry, and a USB port. The steering wheel has duplicate controls for many functions. The back row passengers will appreciate dedicated air conditioning vents.

Stepping up to the Soul S Trim, the driver’s cockpit is definitely one of the best in this class or at this price point. The centerpiece is a 10.25-inch touchscreen with built-in navigation. A push button means you don’t need an ignition key.

New comforts include dual-zone automatic climate controls for both front positions. The driver’s chair has 10-way power adjustments as well as power lumbar support. You can keep your smartphone ready with the wireless charging pad.

While the 2024 Soul GT Line goes for an athletic look, the EX is all about style and comfort. The EX wears a premium woven upholstery while the GT Line combines the woven fabric and SynTex for a multi-textured design.

The GT Line has a D-shaped steering wheel and fun red accents. Naturally the cockpit gains a wireless charger to keep your smartphone ready for your adventures. If you add the Harmon Kardon system to the GT Line, it makes it possible to synchronize the front door lights to the beat of the music.

More refined, 2024 Soul EX models have a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a sunroof, and special LED interior lighting. The back seats gain a fold-down center armrest. EX cargo holds offer more utility with a cargo cover and a 12-volt power outlet. For 2024, an EX Designer Package adds a more luxurious look and feel.

Earnhardt Kia offers financing that can help all types of borrowers. You can get started with this simple pre-approval application.

If you want something really unique, this is the first year Kia is offering the EX Designer Package. Fancy 18-inch alloy wheels are part of the exterior upgrade.

The interior really goes upscale with a lush leather upholstery and other soft touches. The Umber Interior Color Package is unique to Kia. It adds some class-above glamor for the new model year.

Every Kia Soul has a distinctive flair that goes beyond the shape of its exterior. Pillars wear a contrasting white or gray as part of the designer decision to utilize the headliner color in a more exciting way. This unique approach is visually interesting, and it adds to the feeling of spaciousness.

The cloth upholstery utilizes black-on-black or gray-on-gray variations to achieve a class-above stylishness. With certain gray trims, the lower dash and doors wear a lighter gray for contrast.

Higher trims use SynTex leatherette to add textural differences to the black-on-black look. In some cases, there are red accents to dress up the look. With a black SynTex and white cloth combination, Kia adds a white accent door panel.

The 2024 Kia Soul starts with a sub-$20,000 price tag. Yet it comes packed with the kinds of driver assistance that are in high demand today.

These devices go beyond warnings to include active auto brakes and active steering assists, depending on the focus of the warning.The whole goal is to help the Soul avoid collision scenarios. Drivers can enjoy less stress with the help of these high tech aids:

The S, EX and GT-Line models have even more equipment. The additional driver aids seek to keep the vehicle out of common side-crash scenarios. Kia has exclusive braking or steering assists that aren’t found on brands that aren’t within the Kia brand umbrella. These high tech aids are added to the S and above trim levels:

If you want the top tech equipment available today, you can get the upgraded Forward Collision Avoidance Assist and the navigation-based Smart Cruise Control-Curve.

The 147-horsepower engine is quite fuel efficient. An Active Eco mode helps you save fuel, and an idle stop-and-go system reduces fuel use in the city. The intelligent variable transmission utilizes a torque converter to make the most of the engine’s 132 lb-ft of torque.

Exterior Kia Soul standards include automatic light control, high beam assist, and an escort function for the multi-focus headlights. Every 2024 Soul has power-adjustable side mirrors. Plus, there are mounting points for roof racks. This subcompact SUV has 6.7 inches of ground clearance.

The windshield and front windows have solar glass, a nice asset for our hot summers. The rear windows are privacy glass. EX and GT Line trim levels have a fun sunroof.

The Hyundai Smart Key and push button start are standard on the Soul S and higher trim levels. As an extra safety measure, the key activates a sleep mode after 40 seconds of locking the vehicle. This keeps hackers from detecting the smart key frequency.

The 2024 Kia Soul is still one of the least expensive rides in the marketplace. The 2024 Kia Soul LX price starts at $19,990. The S price is $22,490 MSRP, the GT-Line comes in at $23,590 MSRP and the EX tops out at $24,290. Given the SUV’s spacious interior and long list of technologies, these prices represent good values for the money.

Those are some terrific price points for those who want a good deal without breaking their budget. Excellent fuel economy helps you keep costs down even if you have a long commute. The EX is the best with 29 mpg city and 35 mpg highway. However, the LX, S and GT-Line hold their own with 27 mpg city and 33 mpg highway.

In addition to a low price and terrific gas mileage, the Soul has the longest possible limited and powertrain warranties. At 5 years and 60,000 miles, the limited warranty is two-thirds longer than the normal 3 year coverage. At 10 years and 100,000 miles, the powertrain warranty doubles your coverage.

Why not schedule a test drive of the all new Kia Soul? We’ve always got a good selection at Earnhardt Kia dealer Peoria AZ.