New 2025 Kia Soul: A Quirky Cube with Versatile Appeal

The Kia Soul continues to defy convention in 2025, maintaining its distinctive boxy shape in a world of increasingly homogenous crossovers. This subcompact SUV offers a unique blend of practicality, style, and value, making it an appealing choice for those seeking a versatile and fun-to-drive vehicle. With its spacious interior, user-friendly technology, and available all-wheel drive, the Soul stands out from the crowd.

For 2025, Kia has refreshed the Soul’s styling, upgraded its technology, and added more standard safety features. Whether you’re navigating city streets or embarking on a weekend adventure, the Soul is ready to take on whatever you throw its way.

Key Features

• Unique design: The Soul’s boxy shape provides ample interior space and a distinctive look.
• Spacious interior: Comfortable seating for five passengers and generous cargo space make the Soul a practical choice.
• Available all-wheel drive: For added traction in challenging conditions, the Soul can be equipped with all-wheel drive.
• User-friendly technology: A standard 10.25-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto keep you connected and entertained.
• Standard safety features: Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist enhance safety.

What’s New for 2025

• Refreshed styling: Subtle updates to the exterior design give the Soul a more modern appearance.
• Upgraded infotainment system: The standard touchscreen is now larger and more responsive.
• More standard features: Previously optional features, such as automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist, are now standard across all trims.

Performance

The 2025 Kia Soul offers two engine options:

• 2.0-liter inline-four engine: Produces 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque.
• 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four engine: Delivers 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque.

Both engines are paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). While the base engine provides adequate power for daily driving, the turbocharged engine offers a more spirited driving experience.

Here are some key performance figures:

• 0-60 mph acceleration: 8.0 seconds (2.0L engine) / 6.4 seconds (1.6L turbo engine)
• Fuel economy (city/highway/combined): 28/33/30 mpg (2.0L engine, FWD) / 27/32/29 mpg (1.6L turbo engine, FWD)

Interior and Cargo Space

The Soul’s boxy design maximizes interior space, providing comfortable seating for five passengers and ample cargo room. The rear seats fold flat to create a versatile cargo area that can accommodate large items.

Interior dimensions:

• Headroom (front/rear): 40.9 inches / 39.5 inches
• Legroom (front/rear): 41.1 inches / 38.8 inches
• Shoulder room (front/rear): 55.5 inches / 54.7 inches
• Cargo space: 24.2 cubic feet (rear seats up) / 62.1 cubic feet (rear seats folded)

Technology and Safety Features

The 2025 Soul is packed with technology and safety features, including:

• 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
• Available navigation system
• Available Harman Kardon premium audio system
• Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking
• Lane departure warning and lane keeping assist
• Blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert
• Available adaptive cruise control

Pricing

The 2025 Kia Soul is expected to have a starting price of around $21,000.

Competitors

The Kia Soul competes in the subcompact crossover segment against rivals such as:

• Chevrolet Trailblazer
• Jeep Renegade
• Kia Seltos
• Hyundai Kona
• Toyota Corolla Cross

Kia Soul vs. the Competition

While the subcompact crossover segment is packed with strong contenders, the Kia Soul manages to stand out with its unique blend of style, practicality, and value. Here’s how it stacks up against some of its key rivals:

Kia Soul vs. Toyota Corolla Cross

The Toyota Corolla Cross is a popular choice for its fuel efficiency and reliability, but the Soul offers a more distinctive design and a more spacious interior. The Soul also offers a more powerful engine option and available all-wheel drive, which the Corolla Cross lacks. Furthermore, the Soul generally comes with a longer warranty and more standard features, making it a better value proposition.

Kia Soul vs. Hyundai Kona

The Hyundai Kona is another strong competitor, offering a similar blend of style and practicality. However, the Soul boasts a larger cargo area and more rear-seat legroom. While the Kona offers a slightly more upscale interior, the Soul often undercuts it on price, especially when comparing similarly equipped models. The Soul also tends to have a more comfortable ride, thanks to its slightly softer suspension tuning.

Carstoday25.com’s Verdict

The 2025 Kia Soul continues to be a compelling choice for those seeking a unique and versatile subcompact crossover. Its blend of practicality, style, and value is hard to beat. With its refreshed styling, upgraded technology, and enhanced safety features, the Soul remains a strong contender in its segment.