2023 Kia Soul: More Safety, Less Turbo
The good news: Kia’s funky box on wheels, the Soul, is getting a stylish facelift for 2023 as well as more standard safety features. The not-so-great news: It loses some trim levels and its turbocharged engine option.
Related: What’s New for Kia in 2022?
The revised Soul will be available in LX, S, EX, GT-Line trims and with only one engine for 2023: the base 147-horsepower, 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder. X-Line and Turbo trims have been discontinued along with the 201-hp, turbo 1.6-liter four-cylinder. It remains exclusively front-wheel drive, and the sole transmission is a continuously variable automatic. (For 2022, the Soul lost its manual transmission.)
Exterior Updates
Outside, the 2023 Soul wears a revised grille with redesigned foglights as well as new daytime running lamps and turn signals. In back there’s an updated bumper and new taillight designs. It also rides on new available 17- and 18-inch alloy wheels and adds a couple of new two-tone paint combinations to the roster: Clear White and Surf Blue, each with a black roof.
Inside, the cabin carries over and all versions except the LX trim come standard with a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation; base LX models use a smaller 8-inch unit.
New Options, More Standard Safety Features
More standard safety features have been added across the trim lineup, including forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane departure steering assist and lane-centering steering, driver attention warning, lane departure warning, high-beem assist and a rear occupant alert. Many of these were previously standard or available on higher trims.
Two new packages are available for 2023, as well. The base LX model gets some new optional equipment for 2023 in the LX Technology Package. It bundles blind spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert and 16-inch alloy wheels. A new GT-Line Technology Package adds a Harman/Kardon premium audio system with multicolored LED speaker lights, forward automatic emergency braking with junction-turning capability, Highway Drive Assist, navigation-based adaptive cruise control, a power driver seat, LED headlights and taillights, high-gloss cabin trim and a dual-level cargo floor with cargo cover.
Price and Release Date
Kia said that pricing for the 2023 model will be announced closer to its on-sale date. Look for the new Soul in the summer.
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