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17 · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, August 12, 2009 Kia appeals to your `Soul' with its new 2010 hatchback By Lorne Drury Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine They say to succeed in business you have to think `outside the box'. That may be true, but many automotive manufacturers seem to think being inside the box is the way to go these days. Just take a look at the new breed of urban vehicles that are driving the boxy, square automotive design to entirely new levels. One of the most recent is Kia's 2010 Soul, the first Korean car to win a prestigious `red dot' design award. Kia calls the Soul an `urban passenger vehicle' but it really is a new take on the fivedoor hatchback or what is now referred to as a crossover vehicle-- a wagon or sport utility-type body design on a car rather than truck-based platform. My colleague Jim Robinson, I think described it best in his first drive report of the Soul, calling it "basically a small box for the engine and drivetrain attached to a bigger box for people." He said the Soul is "one of the new breed of vehicles that are high on content, high on style, low on price, and, well, square." The Soul, however, has an all-new platform with a wheelbase of 2,550 mm (100.4 in) and an overall length of 4,105 mm (161.6 in). It offers front-wheel drive and a fully independent front suspension with MacPherson struts, coil springs, gas shock absorbers and stabilizer bar. At the back is a transverse torsion beam axle with trailing arms, coil spring sand gas shock absorbers. This is all aimed at providing steering stability, responsive handling and passenger comfort. If you move up from the base level, some models feature a sport-tuned suspension with firmer springs, re-tuned shock absorbers and a large front stabilizer bar for a sportier ride. KIA SOUL 2010 AT A GLANCE BODY STYLE: five-door hatchback DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, frontwheel drive. ENGINE: 1.6-litre DOHC I-4 (122 hp, 115 lb/ft); 2.0-litre DOHC I-4 (142 hp, 137 lb/ft). FUEL ECONOMY: 1.6-litre, 7.7/6.3L/100 km (37/45 mpg) city/highway; 2.0-litre manual, 8.6/6.5L/100 km (33/43 mpg) city/highway; 2.0-litre automatic, 8.5/6.6L/100 km (33/43 mpg) city/highway. PRICE: $15,495 to $22,195 plus destination and delivery ($1,650). WEBSITE: www.kia.ca Kia is thinking inside the box with its new 2010 Soul five-door hatchback, one of the new breed of boxy small cars. Prices start at $15,495, climbing to $22,195 for this 4u Burner model. Among the other `boxy' designs out there are Nissan's new Cube along with the Honda Element and the Scion xB, a Toyota brand that has been sold in the U.S. for years but is finally coming to Canada for 2009. Designed by Kia's Southern California design team, the Soul is meant to stand out from the crowd with its edgy, angular look, unlike previous Kia products that have tended to blend in with the competition. The Soul has a low, wide stance with an angled line around the windows and a rounded nose with flared headlamps that seem to create an illusion of eyes and eyebrows at the front corners. Meanwhile Kia calls its grille a "tiger mouth" design and it adds to the distinctive look. Priced from $15,495 the Soul is intended to help change the staid image of Kia's products, while at the same time offering value, technology and safety features today's consumers are demanding. My recent tester was a top-of-the-line Soul 2.0 4u Burner model, priced at $22,195 and featuring a four-speed automatic transmission, power sunroof, 18-inch alloy wheels and a funky "Burner" interior with a sport red/black interior colour scheme on the dash, steering wheel, door mouldings and seats. Base engine is a 1.6-litre DOHC inline four-cylinder, making 122 hp and 115 lb/ft of torque mated with a five-speed manual. The rest of the trim levels get the 2.0-litre DOHC inline four-cylinder that was in my test vehicle. It produces 142 hp and 137 lb/ft of torque with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The Soul got a good workout in a drive north of Toronto to cottage country to visit friends. My wife and I were able to get all our gear in the back with one of the rear seats folded flat. I'm not sure how much cargo volume that gave us, but specs put it at 546 litres (19.3 cu ft) with the seats up and 1,511 litres (53.4 cu ft) with them folded. Even with the larger 2.0-litre engine, the Soul sometimes struggles in the power category particularly if a little extra "oomph" is needed for passing or on hilly country roads in cottage country. However, most Souls will likely spend their days in urban locales and power won't be an issue. The large expanse of glass in the Soul means excellent visibility from almost all angles-- a real plus in city driving. The high seating position will be welcomed by many drivers, while the Soul is nimble and easy to manoeuvre in the tight quarters found in parking lots. On the highway, once at speed the car is stable and fairly quiet. Handling is decent for such a tall vehicle and there is little body roll on hard cornering, which you aren't likely to do too often in a car like this anyway. Where it shines is in the interior department. There is lots of leg and headroom, both front and rear with room for five adults. The interior quality is a step ahead for the Kia brand and the young and young-at-heart will love the packaging, particularly the Continued on Page 19