Kia Soul EV

Soul puts Kia on the EV street

Launched in 2009, the Soul has sold over 1.6 million units, mostly in the USA, the market it was designed for. There has been a Soul EV since 2014 and in 2019 it outsold combustion engine versions in the UK, encouraging KIA to launch the new Soul model solely as an EV.

It comes with the same powertrain as the e-Niro and its sibling, the Hyundai Kona Electric. This is a good thing. It’s a tried and tested formula which, if driven carefully, has a 280-mile electric range, up from 132 miles on the last version.

From launch, only the higher range version KIA battery with 64kWh is being offered. This comes with a decent 201bhp, plus 291lb ft of torque, giving you a rapid 0-62mph time of 7.9sec. Top speed in common with other EVs, is a more mundane 103mph.

As with the e-Niro, the Soul rides rather well. Despite a kerb weight of 1682kg, the suspension, with dynamic dampers, allows the car to ride comfortably over bumpy roads. It’s eerily quiet at low speeds with some outside road and wind noise only noticeable at 50mph and above.

With its auto gear box, it’s great to drive in town and selecting Drive, Park or Reverse just requires a twist of the rotary gear knob. It’s certainly a relaxing car to drive.

There are four driving modes: Eco+, Eco, Normal or Sport, leaving it up to you to choose

which mode suits the drive best. You can also customise the amount of regenerative braking required. Again, there are four levels offered, None, One, Two or Three, and its reassuringly easy to find out which one you’re most comfortable with.

Suffice to say, drive the Soul in Eco+ with Regain Three selected and the car is slower to drive, with a more noticeable slow down as you approach a junction or traffic light. Opt for Sport and Regain One and it is, surprise, surprise, quicker and slows down more gradually. You can select the amount of regeneration you’d like via a pair of paddles behind the steering wheel.

A Smart Eco Pedal Guide display within the instrument cluster also keeps the driver aware of real time battery usage.

Like any new car you get into, the Soul EV takes a little time to get used to. The regenerative braking is pretty straightforward to use, but it’s easy, as we found out, to drive off with the air con turned on and then wonder why the cabin isn’t getting warm. Within the heating controls there is a separate button to turn the heating on and you need to push this in, otherwise the car will only blow cold air.

Using the most common home 7.2kW charger means a total AC charge time from zero to full capacity in 9 hours 35 minutes. If you use the more powerful 50kW charger, available in many places, this gives you a DC charge time of one hour, 15 minutes to 80 per cent charge. This is ideal if you’re on a longer journey, enabling you to plug in to top up the battery.

Price for company car drivers is often not as relevant as it is for private motorists, but a Soul EV costs £34,295 after the Government grant. More important for business users is the 0% BIK carrot currently being offered from April 1 by the Chancellor. Couple this with rentals from £380 + vat per month and the Soul EV is an attractive proposition.

VERDICT The Soul EV may divide opinion but that 0% BIK carrot, coupled with its range of 280 miles, should encourage take up.

CC&V RATING: N N N N