For you this week, we’re looking at the 2023 Kia Soul, a boxy small SUV that has been extremely popular. There is debate on whether this is actually a car or an SUV, but to me, it is a compact SUV.
It is a love it or hate design for most people, but I actually like it, especially in this Neptune Blue color.
The 18” wheels look great, the front fascia follows the new Kia styling cues of other Kia models, and I like the center-mounted dual exhaust in back.
This is the sporty GT-Line, at the top of all the Soul models.
Under the indented hood, there is a 2-liter 4-cylinder non-turbo engine hooked to a continuously variable transmission. Together they produce 147-horses and it has 132-pound feet of torque. Not exactly a race car, it is built more for fuel economy.
Inside, the funkiness continues. The door panels have orange accents surrounding the door handles and the stereo speakers.
As you sit down behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel, you see a colorful gauge cluster that you can configure from the steering wheel.
In the center of the dash, is a 10.25-inch touchscreen that operates the navigation, Bluetooth, climate settings, sound system, a pretty good review camera, and more.
One cool feature there is called Sound Mood Lamp. On the dash and around the speakers, you get a light show based on the beat of the song you are playing. There is also quiet mode, which turns off rear speakers if there are little ones asleep in the back seat.
The Soul comes with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, and it has HD radio.
The SynTex and cloth seats are comfortable and heated, the driver has a power seat. The center console houses a wireless charger, USB and USB-C ports, the keyless start button, and the drive modes, which includes normal and sport, and it has an Auto Hold button. There is a noticeable difference between Normal and Sport modes. Just above that are the dials for the automatic temperature controls.
Moving to the back seat, it would fit two nicely, there are more USB-C ports, and a fold down armrest with cupholders.
The cargo area is surprisingly large and has a cargo area cover to protect valuables. With the back seat folded down, you have over 62-feet of cargo area. There is a temporary spare underneath and a limited amount of cargo area.
My review vehicle has the $2,400 Technology Package, which includes a Harmon Kardon sound system, adaptive cruise control, the heated seats, LED head and taillights, and an electronic parking brake. A power moonroof, remote start, and keyless entry comes standard on the GT Line.
Safety features are plentiful with forward collision assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, and driver attention warning.
The Kia Soul GT-Line drives great, handles surprisingly well, the visibility is amazing especially for the driver, and the ride is fine. Acceleration is not great, but it’ll get you safely on the freeway.
This vehicle is built for two things: fuel economy and affordability. Fuel economy is rated at 28 city and 33 highway. MSRP on this loaded version is $27,220 which is an exceptional value for a very well-equipped SUV these days. If you don’t care about the GT-Line, the starting price of the base Soul is under $20,000 and they all come with the 10-year and 100,000 mile power train warranty.
2023 Soul GT-Line in a few words: An outstanding value and a very enjoyable and fuel-efficient compact SUV.
Warranty: 5-year/60,000 mile bumper to bumper, 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty with roadside assistance.