The Kia Soul rolls out a new engine for 2017 and puts it in its highest trim level, the Exclaim, for a premium driving experience. Unfortunately, that experience also comes at a pretty hefty price.
Transcript
(engine revving) The Kia Soul rolls out a new engine for 2017 and puts it in its highest trim level, the Exclaim, for a premium driving experience. Unfortunately, that experience comes at a pretty hefty price. For starters, there's the engine.
It's a 201 horsepower, 1.6 liter turbocharged four cylinder. And, as such, it makes 40 more horsepower than the previous top engine in the Soul. But, even with that additional power, the Soul gets the best fuel economy with this engine, with an EPA estimated 28 miles per gallon combined. Now, that engine is combined with a seven speed dual clutch automatic transmission, and overall, it's nice to drive, with good response and passing power when you need it. But, like a lot of those transmissions, it can kind of stumble around in really severe stop and go traffic, and when parking. Overall though, compared to others in the class with the same type of transmission, it's not that bad. One thing that could use improvement though, is the ride. It's not overly firm or anything, but it's very busy, as if the car is kind of always jittering around. And I found it hard to use the Soul's touchscreen throughout my driving because of this. Speaking of things like the touch screen, the Soul Exclaim comes well equipped. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 18 inch wheels, plus leather and cloth seats. Now, on top of that, our test model came equipped with $5,000 worth of options. They included a panoramic sunroof, the technology package, that includes an upgraded audio system, power folding mirrors, always handy in the big city, heated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, heated steering wheel, center console USB chargers, and a navigation system. Now that's a lot of equipment, but it comes at a cost. Our test model came in at $27,620, including destination. That's a lot of money to pay for any small hatchback. Now, in my written review on cars.com, I go into more detail, comparing it to others in the same price range. Be sure to check that out. Overall, I think Kia's done a good job with the Soul Exclaim. There's a lot of features, and I really like what they've done with the engine and the transmission, but the high price and jittery ride give me reason to pause.
