MORE ELECTRIC DREAMS (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 38

By 2019, the Kia Soul came only in all-electric form, so it was just as well that by this point, this brand's EV technology had hugely improved. Let's check this second Soul EV out as a used buy.

Modelsword count: 9

5dr Hatch - EV (First Edition, Urban, Explore, Maxx]

Historyword count: 317

By the middle of this century's second decade, the full-electric car market could be pretty much divided into a couple of kinds of contender. There were relatively affordable ones, like the MK2 Nissan LEAF, developed steadily to the point where its lithium-ion batteries could offer up to around 180 miles on a good day. Or for around twice the money, buyers could graduate to the more sophisticated battery technology that luxury models used in this period - cars like the Jaguar I-PACE, the Audi e-tron, the Mercedes EQC and various Teslas. With these, a driving range of around 300 miles or more was the norm. But in 2018, the Hyundai/Kia conglomerate turned up on the market with a couple of EV models offering the kind of range you'd get in a luxury EV for the kind of price you'd pay for a more affordable one; namely the Hyundai Kona Electric and the Kia e-Niro, this pair followed a year later by the car we look at here, the Kia Soul EV. Prior to this car's introduction in late 2019, we'd already had two generations of Soul, the original one appearing back in 2008 when it was one of the very first stylised compact crossovers, pre-dating even the Nissan Juke. It's second generation successor, launched in 2014, attempted to move the game on by introducing the option of an all-electric drivetrain alongside combustion power, but with the electric EV version, the battery range was restricted and the styling somewhat awkward. Undaunted, Kia regrouped and drawn on more sophisticated electrified technology that it feels far more confident about. So much so that it decided this third generation Soul model should only be available in full-EV form. It was launched in 2019 in 64kWh form, then updated in 2021. In 2022, a smaller-battery 39kWh 'Urban'-spec base model joined the line-up. The Soul EV sold until early 2025 and wasn't replaced.

What You Getword count: 209

If you happened to like previous versions of the Soul, you'd probably recognise this third generation design, which draws on this model line's boxy origins but adds a more modern feel. The cabin design apparently 'draws inspiration from the visualisation of sound'. We're not quite sure what that means, but it probably explains the prominence of the signature 'tweeter' speakers which bookend the dashboard. You'd expect the interior of an electric car to be fully digitalised and sure enough, that's what you get here. Through the many-buttoned three-spoke multi-function wheel, you view a 7-inch TFT-LCD supervision instrument cluster. Anything this can't tell you will probably be found on the sophisticated 10.25-inch UVO centre-dash touchscreen infotainment display. There's no gearstick of course, this being an EV, just this circular drive controller - twist for 'R', 'N' or 'D' - press for 'Park'. The rear seat benefits from this MK3 model's 30mm increase in wheelbase length and the Soul's boxy dimensions, making this rear bench feel far more spacious than more conventionally styled comparable compact hatches with a similar roadway footprint. A little surprisingly given this car's squarical looks, boot capacity isn't as much as you'd get in this model's Kia e-Niro cousin from this period (315-litres as opposed to 451-litres).

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