2022 Kia Soul Overview
For 13 years, the Kia Soul has caught the attention of many thanks to its quirky design that has held up all this time. Now in its third generation, the 2022 Kia Soul arrives with a few changes for the better and one change that might cause a stir in some local Cars & Coffee circles.
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What’s new for the 2022 Kia Soul?
With sales up by about 20 percent, Kia didn’t see it as a priority to change too much on the 2022 Soul. One mandatory update is the old Kia logo being swapped out for the new one. When it comes to tech, the S, X-Line, and GT-Line models are getting a larger 10.25-inch touch-screen display with navigation, a wireless smartphone charger, dual USB chargers, dual automatic climate control, and a push-button start with an engine immobilizer. The one change that may upset some is the removal of the manual transmission on the base LX model.
Exterior
The 2022 Kia Soul maintains its boxy exterior, with standard features like its black radiator grille, multi-reflector headlights, and 16-inch steel wheels. But as you move through the Soul’s six trims, you can customize the compact SUV to match your wants and needs. More appealing features like a chrome-tipped exhaust and LED lighting are reserved for the top Soul Turbo while fog lights and a power sunroof can be had at varying trims. A total of eight colors are available to paint the 2022 Soul’s exterior, with a couple of two-tone options that give the vehicle a “floating” Cherry Black roof.
Interior
If you’re looking for ultimate comfort within the 2022 Kia Soul, opt for the S, EX, or Turbo trims that come with a standard 10-way, power-adjustable driver’s seat with two-way power lumbar support. The sportier LX, GT-Line, and X-Line models come with a six-way manual seat with no lumbar. Across all models, the front passenger is only afforded to a four-way manually adjustable seat. Heated front seats, however, are reserved for the top two trims: EX and Turbo. Premium amenities like a heated steering wheel, LED interior lighting, SynTex seat trim, Piano Black air vent bezels, and Satin Chrome interior door handles are reserved for the Soul Turbo.
Tech-wise, the Soul S and above are the best options. These models come with a larger touch-screen with navigation and satellite radio as well as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, and dual USB charge ports. A high-end Harman Kardon audio system is standard on the Soul Turbo, as are the speaker lights that pulse to music and have multiple ambient themes. You’ll also get a Head-Up Display on the 2022 Soul Turbo model, displaying pertinent vehicle info directly onto the windshield.
Performance and efficiency
As its name suggests, the 2022 Kia Soul Turbo comes with a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine that gets 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. All other models are equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that can generate up to 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. The 2.0-liter engine is paired with an Intelligent Variable Transmission while the 1.6-liter turbo is matched with a “wet” type seven-speed dual-clutch transmission for ultra-smooth shifting. Fuel economy is best on the Soul EX trim, which gets 29 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. But the other lower trims aren’t far behind, getting 28 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. As expected, the turbo engine on the Soul Turbo makes fuel economy go down a bit, letting the Soul achieve 27 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.
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Safety
While Kia is adding its Drive Wise suite of safety systems to most of its vehicles as standard, the base LX model sadly gets no love for 2022. To get features like Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Blind-Spot Collision Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, and Lane Change Assist, you’ll have to shell out an extra $900 for the LX Technology Package. All of the aforementioned safety features are standard on higher trims. The only two systems that are reserved for the Soul Turbo include Smart Cruise Control and Forward Collision Avoidance-Assist with Pedestrian Detection.
Ben never thought he’d be writing about cars for a living, but here he is, knowing more about the Kia Stinger than he’d care to admit. When he’s not devoting his time to researching engine specs and other oh-so-exciting car details, he can be found enjoying time with his wife and dogs. See more articles by Ben.