2020 Kia Soul Overview
The Kia Soul has been a staple of the Kia lineup since the first production model became available in the U.S. in 2009. The eccentric, box-shaped vehicle was the first in a series of design-driven models intended to attract younger drivers. Having accomplished this, and acquiring a ton of awards along the way, not much has visually changed on the Kia Soul over the years. However, leading into the Soul’s third generation, Kia has made some significant all-around upgrades to the ever-popular compact car.
Speaking of New: Check out the all-new 2020 Kia Telluride
What’s new on the 2020 Kia Soul?
In the past, the Kia Soul was known for its quirky trim names and how they were stylized, most notably the upper two options: Plus (+) and Exclaim (!). This method of naming trims didn’t align with other models in the Kia lineup and, as such, the 2020 Kia Soul now features a new list of trims: LX, S, X-Line, GT-Line, EX and GT-Line Turbo.
On the outside, the 2020 Soul received some intriguing exterior updates like a larger front grille with a unique two-tone treatment, three-dimensional wraparound boomerang-shaped taillights, C-pillars designed to resemble airplane wings and much more. While the 2020 Kia Soul keeps its design heritage present with its boxy silhouette, the upgraded exterior lighting elements and newly sculpted lines make this the most innovative Soul ever.
Along with its fun exterior, the Kia Soul is known for its sporty, spirited drive. For the 2020 Soul, the six-speed manual Kia Intelligent Variable Transmission is now available, providing a bit more efficiency when zipping from place to place. The Kia IVT, which is built in-house, can currently be found on the 2019 Forte as well.
Exterior
As previously mentioned, the new Soul gets some exciting exterior upgrades, including, most noticeably, a larger front grille with a unique two-tone treatment. Along with the new front end, the 2020 Soul gets slim-design daytime running lights and turn signal indicators, roof rack mounting points, and a “Soul” graphic on the newly design C-pillar.
Exterior photos:
Interior
With music as a huge inspiration for the Soul, it only makes sense that the sporty compact car can be equipped with sound mood lighting that matches the beat of music playing within the vehicle. The lighting comes in a rainbow of customizable colors while your favorite tunes blast out of the signature tweeter speakers. To make the 2020 Soul supremely modern, add in the harman kardon® audio system (standard on the GT-Line Turbo) and available wireless charging.
Interior photos:
Performance and efficiency
Across the first five trims, the 2020 Kia Soul is equipped with a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission. This powertrain can produce up to 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. But for a bit more power, opt for the GT-Line Turbo trim, which comes with, of course, a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine that’s paired with a seven-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. You’ll be able to get up to 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque with that pairing.
Although the first five trims all feature the same powertrain, fuel efficiency changes slightly due to weight differences, but not by much.
- LX: 25/31/27 MPG City/Highway/Combined
- S, GT-Line, X-Line: 27/33/30 MPG City/Highway/Combined
- EX: 29/35/31 MPG City/Highway/Combined
- GT-Line Turbo: 27/32/29 MPG City/Highway/Combined
Another Affordable Option: Have you considered the 2019 Kia Forte?
Safety
The 2020 Soul comes with the standard collection of safety features that you’d expect from a cost effective compact car. But once you go up a trim from the LX to the S, helpful features like Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, and Driver Attention Warning are all standard. At the top of the line with the GT-Line Turbo trim, a Head-Up Display and Smart Cruise Control come standard while Pedestrian Detection is added to Forward Collision Avoidance Assist.
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