AUTO RED BOOK REVIEW: 2010 KIA SOUL

On The Cover Review: 2010 Kia Soul

Some people like to be seen in weird cars. The ’62 Dodge Lancers were weird, and some people bought them. Pontiac Azteks were weird, and people bought them. Scion XB’s are weird, and people buy them. So why not Kia? Who says Kia needs to be known only for cheap, rudimentary transportation? Why can’t Kia be known for their own weird vehicle? Why not, indeed. So here it is, the Kia Soul in all its weird glory. Not a parallel line to be had. The backend either looks like a plastic toy that was warped by the sun, or maybe something that was clobbered hard enough in the back to bend the quarter panels. Yet, in spite of the bizarre execution, the Soul is essentially a box that has the interior volume and practicality ranked right up there with the best of ’em. The Soul comes standard with a 1.6-liter, 122-hp four-cylinder engine. Or go wild with a 2.0-liter, 142-hp screamer when you upgrade to the automatic transmission. Is the Kia Soul for everyone? Well, yeah, sometimes everyone can use a practical, wheezy box in the course of their daily chores. But you have to be pretty comfortable in your own skin to be seen in one. Or maybe you just have to like weird cars.