See Photos of the 2020 Kia Soul
With its successful tall-hatch formula, the third-generation Soul still pleases despite not offering AWD—just stick with the more affordable versions.
Instantly recognizable and increasingly ubiquitous, the Kia Soul is almost iconic. Kia thinks it is iconic, hence why its 2020 redesign is as careful an evolution as, say, the latest Porsche 911's.
The Kia is still affordable (prices start at $18,485), and its seating remains tall and chairlike, as in an SUV.
The slab-sided, boxy profile and snub nose are unmistakable, and some additional funkiness is provided by taillights that now practically encircle the back window and a scowling face that resembles a Star Wars stormtrooper helmet.
The Soul is a two-time Car and Driver 10Best Trucks and SUVs award winner as much for its intelligent price as its clever interior packaging.
There remain gobs of head- and legroom front and rear, even though the new model's 1.2-inch-longer wheelbase and additional 2.2 inches of length fail to translate into much more usable space.
Kia maintains a level of quirkiness inside, upgrading the old model's light-up door speakers—which could pulse to the beat of music—for available LED-backlit panels mounted higher on the front doors that can put on the same show but are now visible in the daytime.
A 7.0-inch color touchscreen is standard, while a new, 10.3-inch widescreen unit is available.
Functionally no different from the base LX, S, or EX trims (so you can consider its test numbers as applicable to essentially the entire lineup), the X-Line gets tougher-looking bumpers and plastic fender flares.
Every Soul, even the GT-Line, comes standard with an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter inline-four, which replaces both last year's weak entry-level 1.6-liter and mid-level 2.0-liter engines.
Its 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque land pretty much between the outputs of those two previous engines, while its smoothness and refinement are far better than both.
That 201-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission live on as an option in the GT-Line cars.
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line 1.6T
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line 1.6T
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line 1.6T
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line 1.6T
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line 1.6T
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line 1.6T
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line 1.6T
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line 1.6T
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line 1.6T
2020 Kia Soul GT-Line 1.6T
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