The Kia Soul was the one which acquired away for Australians.
And it was our personal silly rattling fault.
Delightfully and quirkily styled, good worth and with glorious passenger house, it stood out like a shining, extrovert beacon subsequent to the ocean of homogenised, vanilla small SUVs.
We bleated away like blind sheep, shopping for Ford EcoSports at twice the speed we did Souls in 2019, the final yr it was bought in Australia.
With that horror present of a Blue Oval mini SUV trouncing the Soul’s 485 gross sales that yr, no surprise Kia Australia pulled it after a decade of attempting.
![2023 Kia Soul EV in the UK](https://evcentral.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/0A3A6642-1024x576.jpg)
Glacial uptake ensured we by no means acquired the Kia Soul EV, which had been on sale in RHD UK since 2015.
It may have – and may have – been Kia’s electrical entry into Australia, slightly than the (already dated) first technology Niro in 2021.
Driving the Kia Soul EV
So what did we miss out on?
On a current UK journey, I snared keys to an electrical Soul.
Every to their very own, however I reckon this boxy Kia’s a delight to behold. Its two-tone color scheme wins quirky factors, even when my household referred to as it the Clown Automobile with its purple and white panels.
![2023 Kia Soul EV](https://evcentral.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/0A3A6557-1024x576.jpg)
It’s a fun-sized hatchback/SUV, much like a Hyundai Kona EV, albeit 35mm taller.
Clamber inside and there’s mighty head and leg room for as much as 5 adults, and that’s regardless of the Soul not being an EV-only platform, like, say, the EV6.
Construct high quality’s glorious, and also you rating LED lights all over the place (boomerang-shaped at rear), leather-based heated seats, 10.25-inch infotainment, digital driver show, radar cruise management and ample security gear, though it’s no match type and functionality-wise subsequent to the most recent Kia EVs.
![2023 Kia Soul EV](https://evcentral.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/0A3A6475-1024x576.jpg)
The boot’s surprisingly small – at 315L it’s lower than the titchy Kia Rio hatchback – however for a metropolis / faculty run automobile this issues little: suitcases and golf golf equipment received’t be typical cargo.
Its EV credentials are stable. Our ‘Discover’ grade has 451km vary (WLTP) – matching that of a primary Tesla Mannequin Y. Cost pace’s solely as much as 77kW, however about 300km vary could be added at a public quick charger in 45 minutes.
There’s a 64kWh battery and single 150kW/395Nm motor driving the entrance wheels. Meaning pleasingly zippy acceleration, feeling sooner than its on-paper 7.9-second time to 100km/h.
The UK additionally sells an entry stage Soul with 39.2kWh battery, 100kW/395Nm motor and vary of 275km.
![2023 Kia Soul EV](https://evcentral.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/0A3A6472-1024x576.jpg)
The drive itself is solely rattling good enjoyable.
Visibility’s stable from a reasonably lofty driving place, and its sports activities car-like unbiased rear suspension and low centre of gravity – the battery pack weighs 457kg – offers stability and poised dealing with when chucking it by way of quick turns. Little bit of physique roll because of its loftiness, thoughts.
The dealing with vs consolation steadiness has been properly utilized by Kia’s chassis techs, so freeway cruising’s fairly soft, apart from some marked street noise.
Actually, it’s at its greatest on the town. That’s regardless of difficult situations within the Motherland. God is aware of what the Brit authorities does with all these pennies and kilos, however they certain as hell don’t throw sufficient money on the street system.
Regardless of England’s wartime-like craters within the bitumen, countless pace humps and corrugated corners, the boxy Soul soaked most issues up with out spinal harm to we occupants. It feels protected, succesful and a little bit of amusing to steer, not dissimilar to a Kona EV.
And parking? The Poms devised parking house sizes when the Austin A30 was deemed regular, so the Soul nearly proved manageable. Twin cab utes wouldn’t be enjoyable right here.
Power use was a really environment friendly 15.5kWh/100km over 1000km, testing throughout metropolis, freeway and nation. That bettered Kia’s official determine of 15.7kWh/100km.
![2023 Kia Soul EV in the UK](https://evcentral.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/0A3A6711-1024x576.jpg)
The Soul EV’s a joyous little all-rounder, however good grief it’s too costly. Our larger grade one prices £39,045 ($76,500) – the entry-level is £32,845 ($64,400) – however the UK does get higher electrical automobile subsidies than us.
Kia Australia would have needed to carry it in a good bit lower than that to compete with the present crop of Chinese language electrical cheapies. That stated, it wouldn’t have been far off the Hyundai Kona EV’s tag.
However Australian urge for food for small, cheaper EVs is clear proper now, and that’s why what comes subsequent from Kia is essential.
The up to date Soul received’t be obtainable as an electrical automobile, as a result of there are fancier plans afoot…
Kia’s EV3 – the Soul alternative
The Soul – funky as it’s – is the previous, and the anticipated EV3 small electrical SUV could be very a lot the longer term.
The Kia Idea EV3 was revealed in October on the model’s EV Day, and this boxy, miniature EV9-like SUV is a logical alternative for the Soul, more likely to debut late in 2024.
It’s going to go on sale ahead of the bigger Kia EV5, which was revealed in manufacturing kind on the similar occasion.
It seems barely bigger and however not as top-heavy because the Soul, though shares its sloping rear roof and wholesome dose of design character.
The Idea’s inside seems to be all eco supplies, with a single-piece panoramic driver display and never a knob or button to be seen.
It is going to be constructed on the Hyundai Motor Group’s electric-only E-GMP structure, and is more likely to be supplied as a single (entrance) and twin motor SUV and with quite a lot of battery sizes.
Nonetheless, we are able to count on 400v slightly than 800v electrical methods to maintain prices down. Wouldn’t it’s a cracking little providing if priced between $50-60,000?
![2023 Kia Concept EV3 small SUV](https://evcentral.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/651724-1024x682.jpg)
Slightly splendidly, we are able to count on a GT model to comply with, making certain stonking efficiency from this edgily-styled small SUV.
After all it’ll be a much more superior, achieved and polished EV than the outdated Soul EV.
However wouldn’t the outdated high-roof Kia have appeared excellent as an electrical entry into Australia all these years in the past?