The Kia Soul isn’t thinking outside of the box, it’s thinking “beyond the box.” Or so says Fred Aikins, Kia senior product strategy manager. The “box,” of course, is a thinly veiled reference to the boxy Scion xB and the cubic Nissan Cube. The Soul adopts the slab sides of its squared-off Japanese rivals but then throws in a few angles. Most notably, the shoulder line of the Kia Soul tapers upwards. With the wraparound windshield, Soul looks its wearing a really cool pair of shades.
Mechanically, the Kia Soul is based on a “highly, highly modified” version of the Kia Rio platform, enough so that Kia refers to it as unique. Still as such, it’s a front driver with a choice of 1.6-liter or 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines mounted crosswise under the hood. There’s a choice of a five-speed manual and four speed automatic; suspension is struts front and a twist-beam rear axle. In other words, it’s a well-proven concept.
2010 Kia Soul sport: selected specifications
Engine 2.0-liter / 142-hp DOHC 16-valve I-4
Displacement, cc 1975
Compression ratio 10.1:1
Horsepower @ rpm 142 @ 6000
Torque, lb-ft @ rpm 137 @
Layout Front-engine, front-drive
Transmission 5-sp. manual std./4-sp. automatic optional
Brakes, F/R/type, dia. in. 11.0 ventilated disc/10.3 solid disc, ABS & ESC std.
Tires 225/45R18
Dimensions
Length, in. 161.6
Width, in. 70.3
Height, in. 63.4
Wheelbase, in. 100.4
Curb weight, lbs., man./auto. 2800 / 2820
Cargo capacity, min/max cu. ft. 19.3 / 53.4
Performance
Fuel econ., EPA mpg, city/hwy 24/30
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source: examiner
