"Under the Radar: Kia Soul" (Starts at $13,995)

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The Soul will be showing up in official American guise in just a few weeks in LA, but the details seem pretty good:

Jalopnik
In terms of power, the the Kia will get a 2.0-liter in-line four that will put out a not-so-anemic 142 horsepower. The Soul will go on sale here around April 2009 with a first-year sales goal of 50,000 for North America, a number we think also includes Canada.
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I've seen the car pop-up here and there on the internet, but this has me intrigued. Its a shockingly good-looking car (IMO) for a Kia, and truth be told, I think it stands to steal some sales away from the hideous and oversized xB, and possibly the redone Honda Element as well.
 
Its still a Kia. And I think the xB is better looking, though I do think the smaller 2.0 engine makes way more sense in that segment.

And those rear tail lamps are just odd... the front profile looks good though.
 
Azuremen
Its still a Kia.
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That said, it's not such a bad thing anymore. Well it's not over here anyway. The Cee'd (which, typically, the US doesn't get) is actually a pretty good car (if a little forgettable compared to a Focus).
 
-> I actually like it, it is more striking than the bland Corolla Rumion...*koff*...*koff*...Scion xB. Although I really like the Element (especially the pop-up conversion), it is really getting old and needs a MAJOR redone.

-> Can't wait to go to LA to check it out in person. :)
 
Jondot
That said, it's not such a bad thing anymore. Well it's not over here anyway. The Cee'd (which, typically, the US doesn't get) is actually a pretty good car (if a little forgettable compared to a Focus).
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Interestingly my Focus was crashed into earlier in the year and the courtesy car I got was a Cee'd. It wasn't complete rubbish in terms of it being a car but it was very forgettable. I guess the word is uninspired. Like I said it wasn't rubbish for something cheap that will get you fom a to b, but by the same token it wasn't particularly good either. It was very bland to drive, very sluggish, felt like it was made cheap inside. By the end of the week I really wanted my Focus back.

As for this, I think it looks pretty ugly tbh, front and back.
 
I'm really starting to not like that Halo 3 helmet look like on the new GT-R, the Koenigsegg, and this...
 
I'll give them credit for sticking pretty darn close to the concept. I wouldn't have thought they'd step that far forward for the production version. Good job 👍

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I'm the weird guy who likes weird things, so it comforts me to see other people are just as weird. :P
 
It looks awesome! But I as Az said, it is a Kia. The day I purchase a Kia, I will never ever hear the end of it. I get picked on as it is. :lol:

I'm a humongous fan of the original xB, and I think the new bB(Toyota's xB) looks OK. But I absolutely can not stand the current gen xB. If you spend a grand or two on improving the looks, you can make it look decent, but what is the use? Element, I really like.

My stance on xB has been that Toyota/Scion should have built that thing for next 20 years. Just keep refining the details, and people would have bought them. Trying to replace that car, especially with that... thing, I think was the worst thing Toyota could have done in their economy car segment. Regarding the "replacement" xB(the current one), Scion said they listened to the original xB owners. They wanted more room, more power. I don't know who's stupider. The owners, or Scion who actually took them seriously. The car sold for reason, and they changed it into something else. This is so off-topic. Sorry.

P.S. Killer(could be very literal) C-Pillar.
 
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The fail of the xB, like you mentioned is its size and weight. Parked next to the xA replacement, the xD, it looks absolutely ginormous. It even feels that way when you get in side... Like sitting in a refrigerator box. Having driven a xD, its a solid car, albeit with an awkward clutch uptake and a shifter that is a hair bit too vague... But otherwise acceptable transport "on the cheap." The xB, with its massive Camry 2.4L engine and "I always have Rosie O'Donnell in the back" curb weight doesn't add much to the appeal of its predecessor, is not.
 
Jondot
That said, it's not such a bad thing anymore. Well it's not over here anyway. The Cee'd (which, typically, the US doesn't get) is actually a pretty good car (if a little forgettable compared to a Focus).
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I'd actually suggest the Focus is the more forgettable car! I've never liked the shape of the current model, either pre- or post-facelift. If anything it looks like the old Kia Rio. The C'eed is quite a nice design, especially as a 3-door.

As for the Soul, I like it. I've liked the shape since the three different concepts they released a while back.
 
yet another cute car I'll never be able to afford. consider yourselves lucky you're not in my situation, where you can only purchase vehicles so old they're off the blue book and too new to be a collectable.

if you want 'bad Idea', check out what they sent over to the US for us from there...a full size body-on-frame SUV...in a day and age when the concept is dead, and those of us who actually NEED the things have to settle for beat up old domestics.
 
homeforsummer
I'd actually suggest the Focus is the more forgettable car! I've never liked the shape of the current model, either pre- or post-facelift. If anything it looks like the old Kia Rio. The C'eed is quite a nice design, especially as a 3-door.
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Ever driven them both, even sat in them both. The Cee'd is the definition of cheap and bland in both regards whereas the Focus is a fantastic car to drive and feels much better quality inside. I had a Cee'd for a couple of weeks while my Focus was being repaired and the contrast in driving experience and quality feel was huge. Sure the Cee'd doesn't actually look bad, from the outside, but it's cheap and tinny, the fact it doesn't have any performance what-so-ever doesn't help, but that's not what killed the car. I've had slow cars before and loved them, it's just a very dull car to be behind the wheel of.
 
Dave A
Ever driven them both, even sat in them both. The Cee'd is the definition of cheap and bland in both regards whereas the Focus is a fantastic car to drive and feels much better quality inside. I had a Cee'd for a couple of weeks while my Focus was being repaired and the contrast in driving experience and quality feel was huge. Sure the Cee'd doesn't actually look bad, from the outside, but it's cheap and tinny, the fact it doesn't have any performance what-so-ever doesn't help, but that's not what killed the car. I've had slow cars before and loved them, it's just a very dull car to be behind the wheel of.
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I have sat inside them both, though I'll admit to not having driven either. Plastic is plastic at the end of the day, I don't care what it feels like as long as it's screwed together half-decently. I prefer the look of the Kia's interior, and it does have a more youthful feel to it - the Focus is very grown-up and mature. That's what some people want (especially family buyers) but it's not something that concerns me.

I know the Focus is the better car, probably the best in it's class, but I have no incentive to even go near one because it doesn't remotely interest me. And this is coming from someone who is a big fan of most Fords. In the Focus class I'd rather have an Astra/Leon/Civic/Megane/Bravo. The only car more forgettable than the Focus is the Peugeot 308, which I literally forget exists sometimes.

Bear in mind I'm also speaking from the perspective of whom virtually any modern car is a trade-up in terms of quality, comfort, quietness, performance etc. I own a bottom of the range, ten year old Fiesta. A new car doesn't have to try that hard to impress me, so I can be swayed by more subjective and irrational factors. Which is why I prefer the C'eed - and in particular, the Pro_c'eed, which also has pretty bad visibility to add to the mix.

It's also why I like the Soul. I know it'll still be a bit cheap and cheerful, but it looks great, it'll probably be fairly practical, reasonable fun to drive, and doubtless in the States there'll be plenty of tuning parts, stereo kits and so-on that will appeal it to younger drivers.

Re: Nissan Cube - If I recall correctly they are briging that to the States soon - either a facelifted one or a new model that happens to look similar. Can't find the original article with pictures of the new one but here's a link to a story about there now being a US Cube website.
 
Re: the tuning front: It doesn't exist for Korean manufacturers, or, at least, barely does, with the Hyundai Tiburon/Coupe being the only model remotely well-supported.
 
-> I can't wait for the LA Auto Show after I failed going to SEMA the past week. :(

-> I really like to see these B-segment cars there. Back in 2004, There was a 1st-gen Cube on the Nissan booth for consumer input and so far, what most people I've heard was on a positive note. :dopey:

-> I would like to see on how the xB, the Fit, the Soul, and the 3rd-gen Cube would fare up based on my 6'3 stature. ;)

-> And by the way, here is a sneak peak of the upcoming Nissan Cube based on a JDM Tomita die cast toy:

Courtesy from Autoblog

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:boggled:

^ Coming soon at the LA Auto Show. ;)
 
The Vanishing Boy
-> I would like to see on how the xB, the Fit, the Soul, and the 3rd-gen Cube would fare up based on my 6'3 stature. ;)
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If a smart is designed to fit a 6'+ person comfortably then a Cube/Soul etc would do it easily. Smaller on the outside doesn't necessarily mean smaller on the inside. The original Merc A-class had as much rear legroom as an S-class, and more headroom.

Re: Tuning again - From what I've seen on t'internet, enough people in the States seem to tune Hyundais and Kias regardless of whether the market is that big or not. The Soul however is specifically designed for younger drivers, so maybe the tuning fans will dig their teeth into it a little more.
 
homeforsummer
The Soul however is specifically designed for younger drivers, so maybe the tuning fans will dig their teeth into it a little more.
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I just hope we don't get a Honda Jazz/Vauxhall Agila situation over here, whereby 90% of the drivers are old women. The fact that it'll probably have a 5 year warranty won't help matters either. I'd hate to see such a 'yoof' car have its credibility ruined instantly.
 
That's probably hoping for a little too much, unfortunately. Small Japanese and other far Eastern cars always seem to be snapped up by the elderly. It's just a symptom of them being cheap and reliable, and historically, completely inoffensive to the eye. Even now that those sorts of cars look better with each new model, the older drivers still buy them.
 
Together with the Cee'd, it looks like Kia's attempt to make better cars is coming along well. Mind you, they could have picked a better colour for these shots, rather than diarrhea green.
 

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