2023 Kia Soul

History/Overview

The Kia Soul is the only car remaining from a short-lived subcategory of boxy compact utility vehicles. Models like the Honda Element and Nissan Cube are long gone, but the Soul has lived on and is now well into its third generation.

What’s New/Key Changes From Last Year

For 2023, the Kia Soul gets an exterior styling refresh and a couple of new features for its top trim, which we’ve detailed below.

Available Trims

Kia offers the Soul in LX, EX, EX+, EX Premium, and GT-Line Limited trim levels. All are powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

Standard Features

In LX, you get 16-inch steel wheels with covers, auto on/off headlights, heated/power-adjustable side mirrors, heated front seats, power windows, A/C, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, six-speaker audio, keyless entry, cruise control, and rear occupant alert.

EX adds 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights/positioning lights/taillights, heated washer nozzles, heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, blind spot monitoring, lane follow assist, driver attention alert, forward collision mitigation, and rear cross-traffic alert/collision mitigation.

EX+’s additions include 17-inch wheels and a sunroof.

EX Premium brings 18-inch wheels, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, remote engine start, dual-zone A/C, passive keyless entry, an auto-dimming mirror, and ambient lighting.

New to GT-Line trim are an electronic parking brake and a highway drive assist function. As before, this package also comes with unique exterior and interior styling elements, and leather upholstery, power-adjustable ventilated front seats, a Harmon Kardon stereo, adaptive cruise control, and advanced forward collision mitigation.

Fuel Economy

Kia’s fuel consumption estimates for the Soul are 8.5/7.0 L/100 km (city/highway).

Competition

As we alluded to up top, the Soul faces little direct competition. Alternatives worth considering include the Toyota C-HR, Hyundai Venue, Nissan Kicks.