History/Overview
The Kia Soul EV was one of the Hyundai Motor Group’s first electric vehicles when it reached the marketplace in 2015. Kia redesigned the Soul EV into a second generation in 2020.
What’s New / Key Changes From Last Year
For 2021, Kia has dropped the Soul EV’s heated windshield, which was standard in 2020’s entry-level Premium trim, but not in the uplevel Limited model.
Available Trims
Kia offers the Soul EV in Premium and Limited trims. Premium has a 327-volt motor and a battery pack that provides 248 km of driving range. Limited upgrades to a 356-volt motor and a larger battery promising 383 km of range.
Standard Features
The Soul EV Premium’s exterior comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, LED fog lights, and heated side mirrors with power adjustments.
Inside, the Soul EV Premium has cloth upholstery, a power driver’s seat with lumbar, heated front seats, a heated/leather-trimmed steering wheel, automatic climate control, a 10.25-inch infotainment display, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, an electric parking brake, passive keyless entry, and a 7.0-inch gauge cluster display.
The Soul EV Premium’s standard safety package comprises advanced smart cruise control, tire pressure monitoring, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, forward collision warning with automatic braking, driver attention warning, and rear cross traffic alert.
Soul EV Limited models add aeroblade windshield wiper blades, rain-sensing wipers, a sunroof, leather upholstery, a power front passenger seat, heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, a cargo privacy cover, satin chrome interior door handles, range-enhancing climate control, a premium stereo, head-up driver display, interior LED lighting, and ambient cabin lighting.
Fuel Economy
Kia’s energy consumption estimates for the Soul EV are 1.8/2.3 Le/100 km (city/highway) for the Premium model and 1.9/2.4 Le/100 km in Limited trim.
Competition
Among Kia’s competition for the Soul EV are a couple of other Hyundai Motor Group vehicles: Kia’s own Niro EV, and the Hyundai Kona EV. There’s also the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet’s Bolt, and the Volkswagen e-Golf.
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