The Korean manufacturer did a great job with the last redesign of this subcompact crossover, which happened two years ago. However, many still wonder about the all-electric version and its future, as North American buyers are still waiting for it. According to the latest reports, this version won’t be available in this part of the world for some more time, due to supply chain issues. On the other hand, the rest of the lineup is expected to continue in the same way, with familiar design characteristics and features.
Therefore, you may count on an SUV that has so many good things to offer. Of course, the generous interior space will be some of the 2023 Kia Soul’s key points. Furthermore, we like the practical cargo area, as well as the optional turbocharged engine. Furthermore, the Soul features a pretty impressive predicted reliability rating. Altogether, these things make Kia Soul one of the best choices among small SUVs.
As there are no significant changes to come, we presume that the 2023 Kia Soul will hit the market sometime in the last quarter of the year.
2023 Kia Soul Design
Design-wise, the 2023 Kia Soul definitely won’t feature any bigger change. The current generation has been around for a few years and it has brought notable improvements over the previous iteration. We like how this crossover drives, as it offers a nice balance between comfort and athleticism. Its boxy shape ensures excellent visibility, which makes it super easy to drive.
Visually, you can see the well-know boxy shape, which has been updated with new front and rear ends with the last redesign. Compared to some previous generations, the new model features thinner headlights and more futuristic taillights. The overall impression about the styling is pretty good and we presume that no bigger changes will happen for the 2023 Kia Soul.
Interior
The same thing goes for interior design. We expect to see a familiar look of the cabin, which combines a relatively conservative design with a couple of funky details. This combination looks great, though we have to say that there is a lot of hard plastics around the cabin, which is pretty much expected for a vehicle at this price range. Despite the low-rate materials, the build quality is very good.
Still, we don’t believe that buyers of this SUV will care much about materials. What attracts people to buy this SUV is its boxy shape, which provides plenty of passenger and cargo room. This is one of the rare subcompact crossovers that accommodate adults in both rows with ease. The cargo area offers around 24.2 cubic feet behind the second row and 64.1 cubic feet of the total cargo volume, which is pretty impressive for this segment.
Features
We presume that a few novelties could come for the next year. Still, most of the things will remain the same as in the current model. So, the base version should come standard with goodies like keyless entry, an 8-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a six-speaker stereo, Bluetooth, and a USB port. The list of optional features should include goodies like dual-zone climate control, push-button start, a sunroof, a 10.25-inch touch screen, navigation, HD Radio, two extra USB ports, wireless device charging, and a Harman Kardon premium audio system.
The same thing goes for safety features. All models should come standard with goodies like a rearview camera and rear-seat alert. Count on a long list of available safety features, which would include things like forwarding collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, lane change assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, head-up display etc.
2023 Kia Soul Engines
The 2023 Kia Soul will continue with the same engines on the offer. Base models will continue with a good-old 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated inline-four, which puts out 147 horsepower. The engine comes in pair with CVT and provides decent performance. It is a pretty good choice for daily commuting, especially if we consider a pretty good fuel economy that goes around 28 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.
If you are for something more capable, something peppier, you can opt for the 1.6-liter turbo-four. This engine puts out 201 horsepower and offers notably better performance. Also, it comes in pair with a dual-clutch transmission, which provides a much better driving experience. When it comes to fuel economy, models with this engine return around 27 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.
2023 Kia Soul Release Date and Price
As there are no significant changes to come for the next year, we presume that the 2023 Kia Soul will hit the market sometime in the last quarter of the year. Base models should go around 20.000 dollars. Key competitors will be models like Mazda CX-30, Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V etc.