2014 Kia Soul UK first drive

The second generation of Kia's stylish crossover. The new Soul is longer, wider and lower than the car it replaces, and features distinctive looks that are designed to get younger buyers interested in the brand.

Order books for the new Soul have already opened in the UK, with Kia offering three trim levels dubbed Start, Connect, and Connect Plus. Two other trim levels, Mixx and Maxx, will also arrive later this summer. Engine options comprise a 1.6-litre diesel and a 1.6-litre petrol.

The model driven here is a mid-range Soul Connect Plus with a 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine, putting out 126bhp and 192lb ft of torque. The quoted 0-60mph time of 10.8 seconds and the top speed of 112mph is competitive for the class and Kia has focused on ease of use and economy, rather than performance.

The Kia new Soul packs a 354-litre boot, with storage space rising to 1367 litres with the rear row of seats folded forwards. That's just short of some rivals (the Vauxhall Mokka offers 362 litres, rising to 1372), but it's still a decent capacity for a compact crossover.

Inside, Connect Plus models get an upgraded sound system and integrated satellite navigation, while keeping the 17-inch alloys, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity and reversing camera of lesser specifications.

Kia knows that volume sales of the new Soul in the UK are never going to be huge, and it's likely that only around 5000 units of the new car will make their way to the UK.

Still, standing out in a market already saturated with the likes of the Nissan Juke, Skoda Yeti and Vauxhall Mokka is a big ask for anyone, but on looks alone the new Soul certainly accomplishes that task with aplomb.

Stylish, both inside and out. As we noted in our drive of the petrol GDI version, the original Soul's outlandish design has been improved upon to present a car that looks very much at home in the urban sprawl. 

The Kia Soul's cabin is spacious for the most part, although taller passengers in the rear will voice complaints about legroom on longer journeys. There are some colourful touches to the Soul's interior trim, most notably the colour-matched stitching on the steering wheel and seats of our test car. There could be more on that front, but there is at least some new colour-changing speaker mood lighting, which looks impressive at night.

The Soul's 1.6-litre CRDi diesel is a competent engine, offering good torque from low down in the rev range. Steering for the most part is accurate, but there's little or no feedback. Initially it appears heavy too, although a press of Kia's Flex Steer power steering button allows you to adjst the amount of assistance you receive, depending on whether you're driving in town or country.

Both versions of the Soul are quite firmly sprung; there's little difference in body roll between the petrol and diesel versions. That's no bad thing, because the Soul rides well over most surfaces. Even on some of Yorkshire's variable country lanes, the Soul didn't struggle to maintain its composure.

Economy wise, Kia says the new Soul can manage up to 56.5mpg on a combined cycle, and around 46.3mpg on urban routes. We didn't see those kind of numbers, but after a cross-country drive the Soul's trip computer showed a relatively impressive 37mpg.