The 2018 Kia Soul might have a boxy shape, but it proves boxy doesn’t have to mean boring. With fun technology amenities, luxurious interior accents, plenty of room, and a peppy engine encased in a body you can customize with a palette of head-turning colors, the Soul offers a fresh alternative to your typical small crossover vehicle. You’re bound to find what you want in the Soul’s three trim options. Let’s take a closer look at the Base, +, and ! trims.
Base Trim
If you’re all about the Base, you’ll enjoy the pep of the 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine, outputting 130 horsepower and earning an estimated 24 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. A six-speed manual transmission comes standard, although you can upgrade to an electronically-controlled six-speed automatic transmission. Like all Souls, the Base is a front-wheel drive SUV and glides over the road thanks to gas shock absorbers in the front and rear, a front stabilizer bar, and a rear coupled torsion beam axle.
Customize your Base Soul with a choice of five colors, including the head-turning Alien 2 green shade, offset by the standard black grille and bumper accents. Sixteen-inch alloy wheels adorn every Base Soul. The interior has all the amenities you need, including Bluetooth and a 60/40 split-folding rear seat.
+ Trim
The middle trim, the + trim, advances you to a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine capable of producing 161 horsepower, getting you 25 mpg in the city, and 30 mpg on the highway. This engine pairs with a six-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic. When it comes to colors, the + boasts the most options of the three Soul trims with 11 color choices to coordinate with its black and chrome exterior accents and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Driving the + is a treat with its 7-inch touchscreen, rear camera display, and automatic temperature control with cluster ionizer. The + and its ! sibling are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible and have voice command capabilities.
! Trim
The ! trim punctuates the 2018 Soul lineup with its 1.6-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine. Enjoy the power of 201 horsepower and efficiency of 26 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. Transferring this power to the wheels is a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with Sportmatic. Five possible colors adorn the ! that light up the road, such as Inferno Red. At 18 inches, the ! Soul has the largest wheels of the trio.
When it comes to the !, what’s inside truly counts. You’ll relish the convenience of the Smart Key with push-button start and immobilizer, as you relax in the leather-trimmed black seats embellished with orange stitching. Front and rear crumple zones, side-impact door beams, electronic brake-force distribution, traction control, and much more are part of the extensive safety package standard on all three Soul trims.
Regardless of which trim you choose, you’ll love the 2018 Kia Soul. Seeing is believing, so check out Huffines Kia Denton’s full inventory of Souls available for sale or lease and test drive one today.
This photo, “2012 Kia Soul Facelift,” by loubeat used under CC BY 2.0. | cropped from original