The electric powertrain is taken from the
inverter, motor, and batteries from the Niro EV, and placed into a more stylish
and economical package. Now seeing its third generation a full decade after the
original, It's more visually appealing with softened edges and a silhoutte that
is a bit more gradual visually. A better sense of style is also accomplished
with slim wraparound LED front lights providing 16 combinations of color and a
sense that more close attention has been paid to design as the model is now
increasing in importance and current relevance.
What all of us on sales and service staff at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis believe is
that the largest highlight of the now improved Soul is its heightened range.
The model is now slated to cover up to 280 miles on a single charge, and if you
can find a 100kW quick charger, you can charge a battery around 40% in just 40
minutes. The key component to these extra miles is the newly fitted 64kWh
liquid-cooled battery pack. These extras alone take the 0 – 60 mph times down
from 9.7 to 7.2 seconds, and improve freeway driving stance drastically.
The Forbes testing team claims that the EV really
excels on the road, with a firm and comfortable ride and “effortless” direction
changing. Very responsive and grippy braking and an aggressive acceleration
with Sport mode add a few extra layers of fun to the daily drive. Infotainment
arrives through a 10.3-inch touchscreen which is very user-friendly, and the
dash provides a range indicator and
other data such as outside temperature. When you finally get some downtime and
are able to valiantly escape the cubicle with a few friends, we'd recommend the
sound mood lighting system: the extra pulsing lights around the cabin really up
the ante for a fun night out. We will keep you posted here on the blog as to
what other publications and experts have to say about the Soul, and we fully
endorse it as the perfect kilowatt-driven Christmas gift!
