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The 2022 Kia Soul GT-Line Is a Lukewarm Hatchback Impersonating an SUV

The classification of a vehicle means quite a lot these days. No one wants a wagon, because everyone’s onboard the SUV train. Kia calls the 2020 Soul a subcompact SUV, but I’m not entirely sold. Neither is the EPA, which classifies the Soul as a wagon for fuel economy purposes. The Soul looks like a wagon, albeit one with a boxier design, it offers the kind of performance one would normally find in a hatchback, and it once belonged in a group of misfits alongside the Nissan Juke, Nissan Cube, and Scion xB. Those are all gone, but the Soul’s still around.

2020 Kia Soul GT
Joel Patel/The Manual

Not only is the Soul still the only surviving entry in the field of rejects, but it’s thriving. Kia completely redesigned the Soul for the 2020 model year, improving on nearly every area over the Soul imaginable. In some respect, Kia deserves, and has the right, to call the Soul whatever it wants. In my eyes, subcompact SUV is a little bit of a stretch. Regardless of what I may think about its classification, though, the Soul is a great machine. Just don’t get the GT-Line you see here.

Testing SUVs can get tedious. There are only so many things that separate SUVs from each other these days, and so trying to nit-pick every little detail becomes wearisome. When Kia dropped off the Soul GT-Line for a week to review, I was elated. A characterful car with a peppy engine? So much better than a hulking SUV with the driving dynamics of a cruise ship.

This was also my second time around with the Soul – I tested the new X-Line trim that has a few rugged elements that leave it as unsure of where it fits in the world as an adolescent teenager. I was not a fan of that Soul. The X-Line didn’t know what it was, didn’t have the best tech, and didn’t seem like a good overall vehicle. Going into the GT-Line, I knew exactly what I was looking for. In some ways, the GT-Line impressed, in others, it disappointed.

The Soul’s grown a few inches for 2020, but rest assured, it’s still a subcompact vehicle. The styling’s been updated, as well, but while the milk carton on wheels stance remains, the cutesy, hip design has made way for something angrier. This hamster’s tired of being picked on and has transformed into the bully. It’s not a look that will appeal to everyone, but it’s a striking evolutionary change that helps keep the Soul fresh.

2020 Kia Soul GT
Joel Patel/The Manual

Because of the Soul’s size and its peppiness, I thought it would be the best vehicle to explore parts of Baltimore I haven’t seen much of before. The Baltimore Sun building on East Cromwell, the Sagamore Spirit Distillery right down the street, the massive Seagirt Marine Terminal in Point Breeze, and the abandoned Ford Armistead Park that gives you a gorgeous look at the Patapsco River. The Soul’s tiny size made it the prime urban machine to do some exploring.

But the GT-Line bespoke powertrain made it a chore around town. Under the tiny hood lies an engine with a big heart — that’s not the issue. Power comes from a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that puts out an impressive 201 horsepower. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is the only gearbox available and it’s a big letdown. The engine’s great, punchy, characterful, and more than powerful enough. You’ll notice a little lag when pulling away from a light, which may annoy some drivers, but a little lag never hurt anybody.

The transmission, on the other hand, is a nuisance. It doles out power and then immediately takes it away. This process results in a driving experience that feels like you’re in a car with someone that’s just learning how to drive stick. Baltimore has stop signs nearly five feet apart from one another and the Soul just wasn’t happy with the layout. Parallel parking is a chore, too, as people will honk and stare as the car bucks like an irritated mule. There was a prime spot at one of my favorite bubble tea joints and I just moved on to try to find something that wasn’t as busy. Patience and a surgeon-like right foot are required to get a smooth experience out of the GT-Line. I possess neither of those things.

What you don’t need patience to enjoy is the interior. It’s the highlight of the Soul. Funky, quirky, lighthearted, this is the Soul we know. Sure, most of the cabin has loads of hard plastics, but they’re stylish. The triangular air vents, the spaceship-like trim around the door handles, the circular bulge that houses the infotainment system, and the circular buttons on the steering wheel all ensure the Soul retains its joyful character.

The GT-Line comes with a few sporty elements like the red stitching throughout the cabin, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and special seats. But the vehicle’s true specialty is its mood-lighting system. The red accents surrounding the speakers, the trim pieces around the door handles, and footwell all light up depending on what kind of themes you pick. “Party Time,” “Café,” “Romance,” and “Midnight City” are a few of the choices. Party Time was our favorite, turning the car into a mobile dance floor. This might sound annoying, but at when you’re not allowed to interact with people and go outside, being able to party in your car for a few minutes without worrying about getting infected is a great cure for boredom.

The massive 10.25-inch display also deserves some recognition. Not only is it one of the largest touchscreens available in a subcompact vehicle, it has a crisp design and is easy to use. Tech is one of the Soul GT-Line’s strong points, as the vehicle comes with nearly every safety feature available on the market and even comes equipped with a wireless phone charger. Above all else, the Soul demonstrates that affordable price tags don’t have to mean skimping on features.

Kia still has some way to go to show the world that it can make a sporty Soul that’s worth buying. Taking all of the GT-Line’s powertrain flaws into account, this is a hard trim to recommend. We love nearly everything else about the Soul, though, especially when you get into the higher trim levels. So, if it were our money, we’d go with the EX trim, the second highest in the lineup.

Either way, the Soul continues to be a quirky way to get versatility without feeling like you’re just another sheep in the herd. After a week with the Soul, it’s easy to see why it’s the one hatchback – or whatever you want to call it – to survive this long.

Editors' Recommendations

BMW, hybrid cars, and EVs dominate Consumer Reports’ top rankings
It’s the first time BMW has landed in the top spot of Consumer Reports’ rankings
2023 BMW XM

Consumer Reports tests hundreds of vehicles a year and conducts some of the most intensive tests in the industry. Apparently, the organization logs hundreds of thousands of miles on test vehicles annually to help consumers make an educated purchase. Recently, Consumer Reports ranked 32 car brands in its annual Auto Brand Report Card Rankings and, for the first time in the organization’s history, BMW came out on top as having the most reliable cars.
Before we get into the results, here’s how Consumer Reports ranks its vehicles. Each car that Consumer Reports tests gets an Overall Score. The score is based on four factors: reliability, safety, owner satisfaction, and the road test. The predicted reliability score comes from the organization’s survey that's based on 17 problem areas in cars. A safety score is determined by crash-test scores and available safety features, while the owner satisfaction score is based on a survey that’s completed by Consumer Reports' members. Lastly, the road-test score is based on the various tests that the organization puts vehicles through.

BMW topped Consumer Reports brand rankings with an overall score of 81. Subaru (79), Mini (79), Lexus (77), Honda (77), Toyota (76), Genesis (76), Mazda (75), Audi (74), and Kia (73) finish off the top 10. Out of the automakers in the top 10, Genesis made the largest leap, moving up 12 spots compared to last year, while Mazda fell six spots.
“BMW builds many high-performance, full-featured, and reliable models, so it’s not surprising to see it at the top of our brand rankings,” said Jake Fisher, senior director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports. “But non-luxury brands like Subaru, Toyota, and Mazda have also consistently ranked high over the past few years, ensuring that consumers don’t have to sacrifice affordability to get a high-quality car.”
Automakers that did poorly as the least reliable cars in Consumer Reports’ testing include: Land Rover (45), Jeep (46), Jaguar (52), Alfa Romeo (53), Mitsubishi (54), GMC 955), and Mercedes-Benz (56). Chrysler, which finished in 25th place, had the most dramatic drop of any automaker, falling 12 spots compared to last year.

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BMW may be known for its high-performance sports cars and excellent driver-focused sedans, but the X5 was its best-selling model in 2022. The last time the X5 model was fully redesigned was in 2019, which means that it’s time for a host of updates. Enter the 2024 BMW X5 and its sportier X6 counterpart, which arrive with thorough mid-cycle refreshes. The main highlights are the introduction of a new inline-six engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, improved efficiency for the plug-in hybrid model, and a new interior design with added tech.
Both the X5 and X6 40i models will continue to come with a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, but the motor has been redesigned for 2024. In addition to the new engine, the 40i models are now hybrids, too. The six-cylinder engine gets a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with an electric motor that’s integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission. With the new engine and the addition of the mild-hybrid system, the base X5 and X6 models are now rated at 375 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. These are upgrades from 335 hp and 330 lb-ft from the outgoing model.

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Aston Martin says goodbye to the DBS with the 770 Ultimate
Aston Martin DBS: Saying goodbye never looked this good or cost this much
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Another day and another supercar is getting kicked to the curb. This time, it’s the gorgeous 2023 Aston Martin DBS. The British marque is saying goodbye to the special grand tourer with a special edition model that’s called the DBS 770 Ultimate. Unfortunately, if you haven’t reserved a model already, you’re out of luck. All 499 examples are accounted for. Sorry.
Aston Martin is giving the DBS a proper sendoff. This isn’t some lame office party where all you get is a dry piece of cake. People that scored one of the 770 Ultimate models get a 5.2-liter V12 engine that makes 759 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. These figures make the 770 Ultimate the “most powerful production Aston” ever.

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