The Kia Soul EV is one of the best electric cars on the market right now.
It’s keenly priced (compared to other EVs), practical, cheap to run and has a range of 280 miles. As an added bonus it’s even good to drive.
The Soul used to be offered with petrol and diesel engines but Kia has dropped those and the electric version is the only Soul available.
It costs around £39,000, placing it at the lower-middle end of the electric car market. Other electric cars are cheaper and others do have more range but none offer 280 miles of range at this price point.
Not everyone will like its looks but its utilitarian shape really grew on me. A boxy shape is perfect for maximising interior space and the Soul is a lot roomier than its modest exterior dimensions suggest.
Practical Soul
There’s plenty of legroom in the front and rear, and you’d have to be one of the NBA’s taller players before you ran out of headroom. The boot isn’t gargantuan but there’s a reasonable 315 litres and if you drop the rear seats that increases to 1,339.
The Kia Soul EV’s electric motor gives instantaneous power. It’s not as fast as the ridiculously quick Tesla Model 3 or indeed its stablemate the Kia EV6. However 0-62mph comes up in a zesty 7.9 seconds and it has all the pace you need to zip out of junctions and overtake safely.
I really enjoyed the Kia Soul EV driving experience. The steering is lightweight and accurate. Ride quality is good and wind and road noise are kept well in check. Because of their weight electric cars rarely handle well but the Soul surprised me with its lack of body role and relative agility.
That generous range means you don’t need to worry about taking the Kia Soul EV on long journeys. I drove mine Pitlochry and back then across Fife and didn’t need to plug it in until I was back home in Dundee.
Strong range
I found the claimed 280 mile range to be pretty accurate. Even at motorway speeds where electric cars are at their least efficient I didn’t notice the Soul EV’s battery draining very quickly. At 30mph it can cover up to 400 miles on a single charge, so if you spend all your time driving around town you could go weeks without charging.
My week with the car was during summertime. In the winter with lights and heater going you should expect to get slightly less range from the car.
Using a 50kW charger will take the 64kWh battery from 10-80% in around an hour or if you have a 7kW home wallbox you can fill the battery with an overnight charge.
All round talent
I found the Kia Soul to be a terrific all rounder. It’s compact enough to be a great city car yet large enough to be comfortable on long journeys.
The cabin is a pleasant space to spend time. There’s a 10.3in touchscreen display that can be linked to your smartphone.
You also get climate control, heated leather seats and a heated steering wheel as well as adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera and a Harmon Kardon sound system. Indeed it’s so well equipped that there are hardly any extras on the options list.
Kia has a strong reputation for producing reliable vehicles and this is backed up by an industry leading seven-year, 100,000 mile warranty as standard. This is transferrable between owners meaning you can buy a three year old Soul EV and still have four years’ warranty.
It was with some reluctance that I handed back the keys to the Kia Soul EV. Its bold styling, ease of use, strong range and practical interior won me over.
Facts
Price: £39,045
0-62mph: 7.9 seconds
Top speed: 104mph
Range: 280 miles
CO2 emissions: 0g/km
