Flagship vehicles stand as the pinnacle of the automaker's engineering capabilities and act as the range-topping product of the line-up. When we think of a flagship, we think of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Porsche 911 and the Land Rover Range Rover -- products that truly represent a brand's heritage and demonstrate the greatest a brand has to offer.
But then there is also the reverse -- in Kia's case, the most recognized vehicle in its line-up happens to be its cute entry-level Kia Soul compact people carrier -- the star of Kia's Super Bowl dancing hamster commercial.
This was how Kia conducted its board meeting: "Gentlemen, the 2010 Kia Soul hamster ads were a huge success. A round of applause for all. But now, we need a whole new Super Bowl commercial that really speaks, no, screams to the heart of the Kia Soul demographic! What have we got?"
A young college first-year summer intern raises his voice, "Future dystopic warfare with lasers and flying saucers! Robots! Alien technology! Lime Kia Soul! First-person-shooter camera mode! LMFAO's 'Party Rock!' Hamsters! Dance party! End scene."
The board meeting erupts in jubilation.
Certainly, the revamped Kia hamster ad has bested the first in every parameter, incorporating every single thing 18-25 year olds know and love to compose one of the best viral videos ever (18,659,407 views on YouTube since I last checked). However, why did Kia produce such an over-the-top ad spot in the first place? What has the newly refreshed 2012 Kia Soul brought to the table?
When the 2010 Kia Soul first debuted on the market, it was instantly praised for its quirky styling and unique profile. Featuring the appearance of a scruffy British bull dog with a pronounced underbite, the Soul has got some 'tude and follows through with abroad and stocky look with exaggerated fender flares on all four corners. It almost seems silly for the marketing team to have gone with dancing hamsters rather than dancing bulldogs.
The greenhouse is equally interesting. Rather than a conventional sloping rooftop, Kia decided to go with a "reverse wedge" that starts with an upright windscreen before leading along a slightly tapering roofline that ends with a sharp "boomerang" element for the D-pillar.
Aesthetically, the 2012 builds on the original styling with great enhancements including new headlights featuring an Audi-esque LED daytime strip as well as a set of foglights to make it look more sporty. The taillights feature an enormous LED array as well. Adding some more snazz, our Shadow 2012 Kia Soul tester is fitted with 18-inch snowflake rims that really make the Soul pop.
Inside, our Soul featured a warm two-tone interior trim with a tasteful houndstooth pattern on the seats. However, the plastic on the panels and steering wheels felt rough to the touch and it would have been nice if the Soul could get softer pads on the armrest and the center cubby to rest my elbows.
Still, the Kia Soul is quite generously packaged with standard equipment. Our tester had amenities including an UVO infotainment system, SIRIUS Satellite radio, rear camera display, USB and auxiliary input ports, adjustable front seats, 60/40 rear bench slpit, cruise control, bluetooth connectivity, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, a sunroof, as well as an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
Underneath, the original 2010 Kia Soul didn't quite have the grunt to match its cheeky mug. The base 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine was rated 122-hp and 115 lb.-ft. of torque while the larger 2.0 liter made 142-hp and 137 lb.-ft. of torque. So for the 2012 model year, Kia sought to change all that with a proper revision that offers a more spirited 138-hp for the 1.6 engine while the 2.0 liter engine now produces 164-hp.
The changes are effective, to say the least. The upgraded 1.6 liter Soul performed a 7.9 second run from 0-to-60 mph, nearly identical with the outgoing 2.0. As for our tester, which featured the new 164-hp 2.0 liter Soul, 0-to-60 mph is capable of low 7s. In comparison, the 2012 Scion xB makes just 158-hp while the Nissan Cube makes even less at 122-hp.
Next, to better complement the new engine trims, Kia has also replaced its old five-speed manual and four-speed automatic with new six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes. Thanks to the improved gear ratio and selections, EPA fuel economy improves from 26 city/31 highway to 27 mpg city/35 highway for the 1.6 powerplant. The 2.0 receives a rise from 24 city/30 highway to 26 city/34 highway mpg. Once again, EPA ratings trump the 22/28 offered in the Scion xB and the 27/31 from the CVT transmission mated Nissan Cube.
Thanks to the revamped engine and transmission combination, the Kia Soul's road behavior was much better than I expected. Picking up the pace during highway merges was easy for the 2.0 liter Soul. What's more, thanks to that tall sixth gear, cruising along is relatively quiet and relaxed for a car in the compact segment. At highway speeds, however, one drawback would be the excessive buffeting wind noises that gets into the cabin due to the funky upright exterior design.
In terms of handling, steering is impressive and much sharper than expected. Rather than a noticeable "deadzone" when the wheel is centered, as is a characteristic with many taller vehicles, the Soul felt rather flicky and responsive. However, during sweeping bends at a higher rate of speed, I did notice a rather odd feeling of the back getting unsettled if the Soul happened to hit an irregularity on the pavement. It's a difficult sensation to describe and while it didn't feel unsafe, it certainly heightened my attention of the car's behavior. Later, I brought the observation to the attention of a Kia fleet manager. While he admitted that other journalists have made a similar comment to this particular Soul, a past "track" incident may be the culprit to the symptom. He also stressed that the behavior is unique to this Soul only, rather than to Soul vehicles as a whole.
Another drawback in ride quality is how easily the Soul begins to feel "bucky" due to its short 100.4 inch wheelbase. By comparison, the Scion xB features a wheelbase two whole inches longer than the Kia Soul.
Finally, this brings us to cargo room. While this is a boxy hatch bodystyle that promises high levels of practicality, the Kia will not be able to haul very much unless the rear seats are folded down. If the Kia were to carry a family of four on a week-long trip down to Florida, the adventure would begin from the moment you try to jam whatever it is you need in the shallow trunk space. That said, there couldn't be a more perfect vehicle to take for shorter day trips to the beach than the cheery, pug-faced Kia Soul.
Whether we're measuring style points, performance, or fuel economy, the Kia Soul trumps its Japanese Nissan Cube, Scion xB counterparts every time. It isn't all about the hamsters commercials. Offering a cool design and tons of standard equipment including UVO infotainment, bluetooth, USB and aux input, rearview camera, and SIRIUS radio all for less than a retail price of $20,000 (before destination fee), the Soul is legitimately affordable and fun!
