Kia Soul EV 2020 Review – International

The world needs more cars like the Kia Soul EV. Australia, too.

It’s a battery-electric car that looks like fun, drives well, is sized right and promises to be good value.
Right now, it’s clearly aimed at the USA and youthful early adopters.

Even so, Kia Australia is committed to releasing at least two electric cars Down Under by 2021, and the new Soul EV city-car appears certain to be sold here alongside the e-Niro small SUV.

When — not if — the Kia Soul is born again as a battery-powered car in Australia, it has the potential to create a breakthrough.

The Soul has never really worked as a petrol-powered car because its polarising looks have been too extreme for mainstream motorists, who prefer a hatch or an SUV but are confronted by something in between.

But Kia in South Korea believes it’s exactly that look which will allow a Soul EV to make a statement and answer the needs of younger converts to the plug-in world. That’s the plan for the USA, anyway.

In Australia — where there’s a lack of EV charging stations and government subsidies -- a range of better than 400km, spritely performance and a flexible, boxy body for weekend getaways could make it the answer to a question that more and more people are starting to ask.

Then it comes down to price.

Right now, there is nothing in Australia with a charging cable that gives much change from $50,000. Most of the contenders are well north of that number, which is one reason why the BMW i3, originally aimed at 30-somethings, is now a popular city runabout for retirees.

Looking at the numbers, the petrol-powered Soul currently sells from $24,990 and the Hyundai IONIQ with battery-only power is $44,990.

So if the trendier Soul was priced lower than the IONIQ from its Korean sister brand, the smaller brand’s entry EV would become Australia’s cheapest all-electric car and offer an even stronger value equation.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s worth noting Kia Australia’s current plan for the Soul EV, which company chief Damien Meredith said in March could be launched here alongside the e-Niro as early as next January.

“The e-Niro has been identified as the first in a range of electric vehicles Kia Motors Australia is working towards putting into the local market,” Kia spokesman Kevin Hepworth told carsales.com.au.

“Soul EV is also being assessed and there are other yet-to-be-launched models which could form part of a larger range.

“There are supply issues globally for the car but the Kia Motors Australia plan has always been to get the car to Australia early in 2020, possibly as a feature vehicle at the Australian Open.”

That would mean a ‘soft’ launch for the Niro, perhaps with the Soul also starring, as Kia looks for headlines with the tennis aces before pushing into full-scale electric sales to Australian customers later next year.

Hepworth is reluctant to get into detail, particularly on Soul EV, but concedes that it is being assessed.

“There are always Plan Bs, but as of right now we are working towards an early 2020 arrival, at least for e-Niro. There is an expectation that once Niro EV is in showrooms it will open up an opportunity for other [Kia EV] models.”

So it’s one thing to launch the Soul EV in Korea, where we took part in an impressive program including the preview drive around Seoul and out into the countryside and back, but another to launch the production version in Australia.

As yet, there is no official confirmation of a Kia Soul EV launch in Australia, but it looks promising.

The Soul EV is based on the third generation of the car, which brings a bunch of significant improvements from a more distinctive new front-end and more space for a cabin with a more high-tech look and feel.

“Kia Soul EV has targeted affluent and well-educated male customers looking for a green car with distinctive style and versatility at reasonable prices,” Kia said in Seoul, although it will definitely want to fine-tune that message for Australia.

“Electric driving range and charging times are the most important attributes for Soul EV customers,” it continues, identifying the same challenge Down Under.

Matching the Hyundai Kona Electric SUV, the Kia Soul EV has a reasonably big 64kWh battery pack and an electric motor with a healthy 150kW of power and 395Nm of torque.

It promises 449km of range with the most economical drive settings, although as seen in the e-Niro there is also a smaller 39.2kWh battery option -- for city work -- that gives a 277km range. The battery is a lithium-ion polymer type.

The best charge time is 75 minutes for an 80 per cent kick at a fast-charger, rising to nine hours and 35 minutes from a home plug.

But despite its boxy body, the Kia also has a 7.9-second sprint to 100km/h and a top speed of 155km/h on its side.

Kia says the Soul has more range than the Nissan LEAF, Chevrolet Bolt and BMW i3, but avoids comparisons with the IONIQ, which has just upgraded to a 38kWh battery with a 230km range.

Styling of the Soul is instantly familiar, but Kia has put some edge into the EV with a different frontal treatment -- which is lit with a bold blue style line at night and includes more streamlined headlights -- to step it away from the regular Soul and give it more electric impact.

Inside, the EV is a step up from the regular Soul with everything from a rotary drive controller and paddles behind the wheel to adjust the regenerative braking, to a 7.0-inch TFT instrument display and a similarly-sized infotainment screen that’s focussed on readouts from the electric package.

On the safety side, radar cruise control and the usual suite of emergency safety braking and blind-spot warning is joined by rear-traffic alert and high-beam assist.

Seoul is bumper-to-bumper unpleasant as we roll into the traffic with the Soul EV.

First impressions? The car stands out in the blandoid Korean traffic, tip-in throttle performance is strong and it’s nice to have something so quiet for a boring crawl to the outskirts of the capital.

As the traffic clears and the roads open, the new Soul EV is surprisingly sporty. Better, for sure, than I remember from my last time in the old petrol model.

It surges away from lights and out of tight corners, and is almost sports car-like in curves.

That could be my enthusiasm for some Korean country driving, but it’s also down to the torque delivery and a car which -- with less weight in the nose -- turns well and has good balance in corners.

Range is not a problem as we’re only going around 200km, but it’s good to watch the way the car is working on the infotainment screen.

There are four driving modes, from Eco to Sport, and three levels of regen. So plenty of choice between having fun and maximising distance between plug-ins.

The paddle-shift system for regenerative braking, which I remember from Hyundai, works even better as we get into hills and valleys. It’s almost like a sporty manual, allowing me to ‘shift down’ on the paddles to increase the braking effect into corners.

There is more than 150km of remaining range as we return to Seoul, thanks in part to heavy use of the regenerative braking.

It’s a reminder that twisty roads and stop-start work in cities can be good for range, in contrast to the heavy drain of constant highway work with the air-con in action.

The Soul EV is still turning heads and would do the same thing in Australia.

It could be a Kia that the EV world really needs: something for young greenies to accelerate the eventual switch to electric motoring.

How much does the 2020 Kia Soul EV cost?
Price: Too early to say
On sale: Early 2020 (TBC)
Powertrain: 150kW/395Nm electric motor
Transmission: Single gear, front-wheel drive
Battery: 64kWh or 39.2kWh lithium-ion polymer
Range: 449km or 277km
Safety rating: TBC