New Kia Soul EV will challenge rival electric cars including the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq Electric, and here’s everything you need to know about it…
On sale: Early 2019 | Price from: £32,000 (est)
Treading the fine line between funky looks and being practical for families, the Kia Soul is a boxy small SUV which competes with small SUV rivals including the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur and the current class leader, Seat’s Arona. An all-new version has been revealed at the Los Angeles motor show, but in a sign of the times it will only go on sale in electric Soul EV form in the UK, with conventionally powered versions reserved for the US market.
Kia Soul EV 2020 (Image: Kia.com)
That means that as well as the small SUVs mentioned above, rivals also now include the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq Electric.
2019 Kia Soul EV electric motor and range
Described as being “just as quirky, fun-loving and crowd-pleasing as ever,” the new Soul EV is powered by a single electric motor developing 201bhp and 291lb ft of torque. There’s also new suspension designed to give the car more agile handling and a more comfortable ride – both are areas where the old Soul fell down next to key rivals. Drivers can choose from four different modes – Eco+, Eco, Comfort and Sport – which adjusts the accelerator response to potentially conserve energy, as well as adjusting the Soul’s climate control and regenerative braking settings. All of that could lead to you getting more miles out of each full charge, the same as hypermiling in a conventional car.
Read more: What Car