Reviews of the Kia Soul, all the pros and cons

Feedback on the design

If you want to stand out, then you should definitely buy a Kia Soul: bright design, shocking appearance. The vehicle leaves no one indifferent and causes either delight or strong rejection.

The first generation car was made more “for amateurs”. It simultaneously combines the features of a microvan, a hatchback and an all-terrain vehicle. A flat horizontal roof, large headlights, and swollen wheel arches give it a serious look. The front part of the Kia Soul is represented by a medium-sized radiator grille, a large air intake, and large round fog lamps.

When creating the second generation Kia Soul, designers modernized its exterior. The front part looks more bulky and menacing due to modern headlights, complemented by DRLs, and the “wide mouth” of the air duct. Compared to its predecessor, this model appears more muscular, as the door surfaces and wheel arches are more flared. Three colors became available: black, bright yellow and red.

In 2021, a third-generation car appeared, which became almost 6 cm longer in length. According to reviews from Kia Soul car enthusiasts, the door openings became higher and wider, and the body became stronger due to the use of durable steel. The modern look is given to the car by “squinted” headlights, a large radiator grille with chrome trim, and boomerang-shaped taillights.

Key features of the vehicle are on video:

The new “Soul” has several versions – X-Line, Designer Collection, GT-Line. “Xline” is distinguished by an external body kit made of unpainted plastic; GT-Line – bumper, red inserts in the interior; Designer Collection - two-tone body, unusual foglights.

Comfort in the cabin

The interior of the first generation Kia Soul is more pleasant than the exterior. The trim is made in two colors, which emphasizes the sporty nature of the car. The overall ergonomics of the front part contributes to comfortable driving. The age of the first generation Kia Soul is indicated only by the steering wheel without additional settings.

The second generation car is more comfortable than its predecessor. Judging by the reviews of vehicle owners, the sound insulation inside the Kia Soul has become better. The cabin can accommodate up to 5 passengers. The seats are located in such a way that neither the driver nor the passengers are cramped in space. And the presence of a central headrest creates additional convenience.

In the 2021 Kia Soul, the interior has increased slightly. The space for the driver and front row passenger has been further expanded by extending the seat travel. The front panel resembles that of an airplane, with a 10.25-inch touchscreen display in the center.

The car is equipped with dual-zone climate control, air conditioning, armrests on the right side of the driver and between the second row passengers, a powerful audio system, 10 speakers, LED lighting that flickers to the beat of the music. For the rear seats, as well as for the front, the sofa is heated. The upholstery is made at the buyer's request in black, beige, brown or gray. It is made from leather, fabric, or a combination of both materials.

Controllability

Soul cannot be classified as a racing car. The 1.6 MPi AT car takes off quickly. But already at a speed of 70 km/h it slows down. According to experts, it will take almost 15 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h. At a speed of 130 km/h, the car does not slow down and holds on confidently if you do not overtake sharply.

Reviews of the manual Kia Soul are more flattering than those of the automatic. According to the passport, they are only 1 second ahead of their counterparts with automatic transmission. But in reality it seems much faster.

Off the asphalt the car is not very playful. When driving on rough suburban roads, you can feel the lateral motion. So we can conclude that this is a purely urban asphalt vehicle.

The Kia Soul is equipped with good brakes. They are distinguished by accuracy and efficiency. The braking distance at a speed of 100 km/h is 38 m on dry asphalt and summer tires.

Diesel engine on Kia Soul

With engines, everything is not so simple at first glance, especially if you take into account the versions of cars with diesel units. Kia Soul supplied to the Russian Federation and the CIS were equipped with diesel engines until the release of the second generation restyled models.

Diesel engines on Souls turned out to be quite good and served their owners for quite a long time (up to 200,000 km when using high-quality fuel), but, unfortunately, these engines did not shine at all with their maintainability. And not every service undertakes the repair of diesel engines, despite the simplicity of their design. However, there is a fly in the ointment here, which lies in the “clumsy” domestic assembly with non-compliance with the necessary tolerances and standards, which directly affects the service life of the motor. Exactly the same as diluted diesel fuel, which is available in abundance at most gas stations in the Russian Federation and the CIS. All this, of course, greatly affects the service life of the motor.

There was only one diesel engine installed on the Kia Soul - a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder, 1.6-liter with 4 valves per cylinder. Motor marking: D4FB. This engine did not have much power - only 128 hp, not to say that this is enough, especially for a car aimed at “youth”, but for most ordinary tasks this engine was more than enough. Especially if you compare a diesel engine with its gasoline counterpart with the same volume and power, varying from 124 to 132 horsepower in the first two generations of cars (we do not take into account the restyling of the 2nd generation).

If we talk about the reliability of the diesel unit, then everything is not so bad - the cylinder block is made of aluminum alloy with cast iron liners pressed into it. At the bottom of the block itself there are beds of main bearings, which, unfortunately, are not replaceable and are cast together with the block at the stage of its creation.

And if the crankshaft on the D4FB engine, installed in the block, is capable of “exceeding” its required service life, and cast iron liners will withstand many abuses, then the rest of the elements will not.

On this engine, it is very important to monitor the coolant temperature and the condition of the cylinder head gasket, promptly check the chain tension and use only high-quality fuel.

It is also very important to monitor the condition of the fuel system - this is very important when driving on domestic diesel fuel.

The positive qualities of diesel units on the Kia Soul include the following:

• efficiency due to low fuel consumption;
• high engine thrust at low speeds, which is good when driving a loaded car;
• “flat shelf” of torque, starting from 1000 and ending at 4500-5000 rpm.

Other features of the Kia Soul with diesel units include the following:

• equipping the car only with an automatic transmission (!), with the exception of pre-restyling cars of the first generation;
• in addition to the noise of the engine itself, owners repeatedly notice that another source of noise in the car is the timing chain, which should be closely monitored (usually chain noise occurs on runs over 80,000 km due to its stretching or poor operation of the tensioner);
• A diesel engine is not the best in terms of maintainability, and the cost of repairing a diesel engine is much higher, unlike its gasoline counterparts.

Diesel engines on the Kia Soul were equipped with the following types of gearboxes:

• Kia Soul, 1st generation, pre-styling: 5-speed manual transmission;
• Kia Soul, 1st generation, pre-styling: 4-speed automatic transmission (torque converter type);
• Kia Soul, 1st generation, restyling: 6-speed automatic transmission (torque converter type);
• Kia Soul, 2nd generation, pre-styling: 6-speed automatic transmission (torque converter type).

Restyled Kia Soul 2nd generation for delivery to the Russian Federation and the CIS were not equipped with diesel engines.

Opinion on technical characteristics

The entire line of Kia Soul engines is represented by the following power units:

• petrol 1.6 l;
• turbodiesel 1.6 l;
• petrol 2.0 l;
• atmospheric and turbocharged 1.6 l.

1.6 liter engines are paired with manual and automatic transmissions, and 2.0 liter units are paired with an automatic transmission.

In Russia, there has been low demand for vehicles with a turbodiesel engine for a long time, so in 2015 it curtailed the production of this version of the car.

Petrol Kia Soul 1.6 liters are popular. Car owners are of the opinion that they are suitable for those who value practicality and efficiency in a car. As practice shows, the service life of the new unit ranges from 300 to 350 thousand km. You can’t count on special dynamics with such an engine, but it’s quite suitable for a comfortable and not too fast ride.

Drivers also do not get much pleasure from controlling the dynamics of a 2.0 liter petrol car. The engine coupled with a 6-speed automatic allows you to quickly overtake and confidently pull the vehicle in traffic jams. However, when accelerating from low speeds, especially when going uphill, the car lacks traction.

Gasoline engines for Kia Soul

With gasoline internal combustion engines on Souls, everything is simpler than with diesel engines. This is due to the fact that Souls of all generations, with the exception of the second (restyled), were equipped with only one engine - G4FC. Yes, knowledgeable and inquisitive readers might have noticed and rightly told us that we were wrong. After all, the second generation Soul models began to be equipped with G4FD engines. That’s right, but, unfortunately, you shouldn’t blindly trust the company’s marketers who make flattering reports about “new” engines, because the G4FD is essentially the same old G4FC, only with a small pinch of minor changes. Nothing fundamentally has changed in this engine. The “D” index in the engine name replaced “C” and only marked the modification of the power units to meet more stringent environmental standards.

The G4FC/G4FD engines themselves are essentially outdated technology, which the Korean automaker borrowed from Mitsubishi and slightly “modified”. True, these improvements cannot be called positive, because in the pursuit of power and low-cost production, important engine components become less reliable. Nevertheless, with careful operation, frequent oil changes (every 5-7 thousand) and other consumables, these engines can easily last about 150,000 - 200,000 km. However, not all cars equipped with these engines are operated in favorable conditions.

Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that the cylinder block on these engines is made of aluminum, which makes the internal combustion engine practically unrepairable. In the countries of the Russian Federation and the CIS they have long found an approach to these engines and learned how to repair them competently, but is the game worth the candle? Is it not so easy to find a high-quality car service with qualified technicians? Therefore, most Kia Soul car owners, faced with engine failure, prefer to purchase a contract unit without burdening themselves with questions about the “correctness” of the repair.

The G4FC/G4FD engine is an in-line four-cylinder block made of aluminum alloy. The volume of the unit is 1.6 liters, the number of valves is 16, the power of the engines installed on the Kia Soul varies from 124 to 132 hp. The power supply system is injection.

Depending on the model, you can find a car with either electronically controlled distributed injection (124 hp version) or with direct injection (132 hp version).

The first system, as a rule, is installed on “poorer” configurations, the second - on more equipped ones.

The features of these motors include the following:

• timing chain mechanism with all that it implies - excessive engine noise, chain stretching;
• frequent oil leaks from the seals;
• unstable idle speed - frequent adjustment of the fuel system is required (cleaning injectors, using high-quality fuel, changing filters);
• the need to adjust valves every 20,000 - 25,000 km;
• you should monitor the condition of the catalysts in the exhaust system;
• It is unacceptable to overheat the engine; it is very important to monitor the coolant temperature.

Otherwise, the motor does not have any other obvious shortcomings; the G4FC/G4FD is simple and repairable (if the unit does not overheat).

Also on the restyled 2nd generation Kia Soul models, new engines appeared:

• naturally aspirated internal combustion engine with a volume of 2.0 liters and a power of 150 hp, equipped with a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission;
• turbocharged internal combustion engine with a volume of 1.6 liters, 200 hp, equipped with a 7-speed robotic gearbox.

Frequent problems and breakdowns

According to reviews from owners, the Kia Soul has a number of shortcomings, which are the root cause of frequent breakdowns. Car owners contact the workshop when the following problems occur:

• Formation of small chips on the surface of the car. This is due to a weak layer of paintwork.
• Oil leaking from the gearbox.
• Rapid wear of brake pads, discs and wheel bearings.
• Minor malfunctions in the electrical and electronics, which affects the operation of the central locking system, electric windows, and steering system.
• Burnt out lamps in the headlights.
• Malfunctions in the automatic transmission.
• Unexpected transition of the gearbox to emergency mode.
• Damage to the seat heating system.

As a car's mileage increases, parts or entire systems often fail. If there is a warranty, you should contact an authorized dealership. Cars out of warranty will have to be repaired at your own expense.

Transmission

Many cars are equipped with an automatic transmission. It is quite reliable, but due to its slowness it is more suitable for calm drivers.

A diesel engine accelerates wear on the clutch and dual-mass flywheel. Most often, the clutch has to be changed after 100-150 thousand km.

Oil leaks from the gearbox are not uncommon - seals fail quite often (100 rubles for a seal plus 3,000 rubles for labor).

Difficulty shifting gears may occur due to wear in the plastic tip of the clutch master cylinder.

Operation and Maintenance Cost

recommends carrying out maintenance once every 12 months or every 15 thousand km. It is not cheap, and depending on the mileage and the list of operations performed, the amount varies from 5 to 32 thousand rubles.

Based on reviews of the Kia Soul, the cost of maintenance for a car with a mileage of more than 50 thousand km is at least 15 thousand rubles, taking into account the implementation of all the recommendations of the car dealer.

The average fuel consumption of the Kia Soul ranges from 4.5 to 8.3 liters per hundred kilometers. In winter in Moscow it “eats up” 9 liters, but this comes with heating of the interior and idle time in traffic jams.

According to experts, the cost of operating a car will cost its owner 9 rubles. 59 kopecks for every kilometer traveled. This includes insurance, fuel and maintenance.

Advantages of Kia Soul

In 2015 the reputable agency JD Power appreciated all the advantages of Soul. The car received the highest scores in all respects and took first place in the rating, ahead of competitors from Mazda and Toyota. In 2016-2017, it became the best in quality in its category.

Drivers include the following key advantages of the Kia Soul:

1. Bold appearance. Although for some this will be an advantage, for others it will not. Only one thing is clear: the vehicle looks more advantageous compared to the nondescript Nissan Note and Citroen Picasso.
2. Small dimensions of the car. This is especially convenient for parking or in heavy city traffic.
3. Wide interior, no pressing space.
4. Powerful engine. It starts even in severe frosts.
5. Good automatic transmission. It works quietly, the speeds switch clearly and smoothly.
6. High degree of security. In its class, the car received 4 stars out of 5 for this parameter.
7. High seating position, wide view from the driver's seat.
8. Good handling, maneuverability, the car does not roll during sharp turns.

The advantages of the vehicle include a rigid suspension due to its durability and reliability. Although, according to reviews from real Kia Soul owners, this is more of a minus than a plus.

All the disadvantages of the Kia Soul

Potential buyers judge all the disadvantages of the Kia Soul mainly based on reviews from real owners. Drivers include the following main disadvantages of the vehicle:

1. Small trunk. It is ideal for everyday life, but completely unsuitable for transporting a large number of things.
2. Expensive maintenance.
3. Stiff suspension. This creates discomfort for passengers; this is how all the imperfections of the road surface are felt.
4. Thin layer of paintwork. Over the course of a short period of use, chips appear on the car. If they are not removed promptly, rust will form.
5. Low position of the engine crankcase.
6. Diesel cars are noisy and less dynamic.
7. Poor sound insulation. The doors and wheel arches resonate directly into the cabin with the sound of rain or the impact of gravel and stones.
8. Some models lack a turbo timer, which leads to problems with the turbine during active driving.
9. Low wear resistance of original brake pads.
10. Weak steering rack.

According to reviews from experienced Kia Soul owners, not all disadvantages are related to production features. Many problems arise as a result of improper use.

To make your car last longer, you need to choose high-quality oil and change it every 50-60 thousand km, refuel at proven gas stations, and replace worn parts on time.

Engine KIA Soul

D4FB

The 1.6 CRDi four-cylinder diesel engine produces 126 horsepower. The torque reaches 265 Newton meters. This is a fairly economical KIA Soul engine, which in the combined cycle consumes about 6 liters of diesel fuel per 100 km. But over time, the factory characteristics are violated, as the particulate filter ages and the intake system becomes dirty. Soot with oil particles settles on the swirl flaps and intake channels. This is why quality maintenance is so important.

The official dealer for routine maintenance of the diesel KIA Soul uses Shell Helix Ultra Extra 5w30 oil. It is well suited for this engine, but it is advisable to reduce the interval between service maintenance to 7-8 thousand km, changing the entire set of filters along with the oil.

It is noteworthy that the service life of the lubricant will depend on the quality of the fuel. Try to refuel at trusted, large gas stations. Using low-quality diesel fuel can lead to the destruction of fuel equipment. Add FuelEXx Diesel to diesel fuel prophylactically. The additive will increase the cetane index by 3-5 units, clean the surfaces of the combustion chamber and gas exhaust tract, decarbonize piston rings, extend the life of the particulate filter, utilize water, which complicates starting in the cold season, and protect injectors from corrosion. Thanks to the use of the additive, it will be possible to reduce consumption by 10–15%. And this is a noticeable saving, especially with serious mileage.

D4FB does not have typical failures. Some car owners have had service belt rollers fail, as well as the turbine, which first begins to leak, and then makes a characteristic, unpleasant noise and stops pumping air in accordance with factory standards.

G4FC

The 1.6 liter naturally aspirated petrol engine is equipped with an aluminum cylinder block and a CVVT system. Produces 124 hp. With. According to the manufacturer's instructions, the service life of the G4FC engine on the KIA Soul is 180 thousand km. In practice, with proper maintenance, an internal combustion engine runs smoothly for 250 thousand km. Structurally it is similar to G4FA. Therefore, the problems that car owners face are almost the same: increased noise, excessive oil consumption. The consumption of G4FC on a KIA Soul depends on which gearbox it works in tandem with. If it's a manual, it will take up to 10 liters per 100 km in the city. Versions with automatic transmission consume up to 12 liters per 100 km in the urban cycle. Among the advantages, we can note the absence of problems with starting in cold weather, good digestibility of domestic gasoline, and acceptable dynamics.

G4FD

The 1.6 liter Kia Soul GDi petrol engine produces 132 hp. With. power. But the torque is only 165 Newton meters. The features of this internal combustion engine include:

• Chain in the gas distribution mechanism.
• Fuel with direct injection system.
• An advanced gas distribution system mounted on a single shaft.

For trouble-free operation of the G4FD on the KIA Soul, you must follow the maintenance regulations and avoid overloads. Consumables, in addition to oil and filters, include valve stem seals, gaskets, pumps, belts, spark plugs, etc. Every 20 thousand km you need to adjust the valves, and once every 80 thousand km you need to check the condition of the main structural elements of the engine.

The G4FD engine can be equipped with a turbine, and then it develops 204 hp. With. power. Phase shifters are installed at the inlet and outlet. This version accelerates to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds. A powerful internal combustion engine is paired with a robotic 7-speed transmission, which prevents it from spinning up to too high speeds.

G4NA

This is a two-liter gasoline engine with a capacity of 150 hp. With. In the combined cycle, according to the manufacturer, it consumes up to 8.2 liters of fuel per 100 km. Paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, the KIA Soul accelerates to 100 km/h in 10.2 seconds. Some car owners complain about the knocking of hydraulic compensators and increased noise. If operating conditions are violated or the oil is incorrectly selected, scuff marks quickly appear on the cylinder walls, which sharply worsens the technical characteristics of the power unit. Over time, this will require a major overhaul, which is complicated by the fact that the cylinder block is based on light alloy materials. You can read more about the features of the G4NA in the article about the Hyundai Creta.