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http://kia-buzz.com/?p=4208
I like this car as it is. However, if the factory would install the larger, 2.4 liter engine and a 6-speed automatic trans. with paddle shifters, the Soul could become an icon and take its place alongside the Mini Cooper S, the Mazdaspeed 3, and the Volkswagen GTI. It has enormous potential, with its small footprint accompanied by lots of room inside (for a car only 161 inches long). I've driven all the Civics and the small Scions, the small Mazdas, and none of them made an impression on me. Then I drove a Soul and bought one the next week. Bear in mind, I didn't need another car - we had three for the two of us - but I got the Soul only because I enjoyed driving it more than the others: Tacoma, Accord, and VW GTI.
2010 Kia Soul Recognized on 'Coolest New Cars Under $18,000' List by Kelley Blue Book's Kbb.com
[Trading Markets (CA) (Online), 6/23/2009]
Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced the all-new 2010 Soul urban passenger vehicle was named to the 2009 Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000 list by Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, the leading provider of new car and used car information. The Soul joined Kia Motors' ever-expanding lineup in March and was lauded for being cool, affordable ride with a growing emphasis on personality, versatility and technology. "Soul's personality really has made an impact with consumers and the media, who are realizing you don't have to spend a lot of money to make a statement," said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA. "We are pleased that Soul is being recognized for its playfulness and versatility but also that it is appreciated for its economical attributes that affect real world purchase decisions."…Soul stands out from the crowd with modern, unique styling aimed toward the young and young-at-heart and offers a unique combination of style, value and personalization options. An available Audio Upgrade Package includes speaker lights that can pulse to the beat of the music or add mood lighting to the interior cabin, enhancing the overall personal lounge feeling. The Soul+ offers funky black cloth seats with "glowing" Soul logo inserts while the Soul! trim comes with a distinctive sand-black interior with houndstooth-patterned inserts, and the Soul sport presents a bold red-black interior trim with red-trimmed cloth seats and metal-finish interior accents.
[The Tribune (TX) (Online), 6/22/2009]
By Wilson Calvert
What it is: If you’ve watched much TV in the last month or two, then you’ve probably seen Kia’s ad campaign to help launch the brand new Kia Soul. It features hamsters running in hamster wheels on roads all across a city when a shiny red Kia Soul pulls up playing some loud hip-hop music. The tag line in the commercial is “A new way to roll,” and Kia has definitely aimed a car at the youth market. With the great success of Scion’s xB (the one that looks like a toaster), boxy is definitely in vogue…If you feel the need to find “a new way to roll” then the Kia Soul should definitely be on your test drive list. Kia also provides a 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty which proves Kia is going to back up their product. Compared to its competitors, the Soul offers the best all-around package when factoring in fun-factor, usefulness and price. The Soul should prove accessible to all demographics just as the Scion xB has (Who will be driving the next xB that you see, a backwards-hat teenager or his grandmother?) and is already proving to be an early hit for Kia.
Kia Soul 4U Retro review: Little box full of big surprises
[Kia World (Blog) (Online), 6/23/2009]
I’ve had my Kia Soul for over a month now and I thought I’d share my experiences with the prospective/future Soul buyers in hopes of answering most of the questions and easing some of the doubts they might have…Kia Soul was exactly what I was hoping to see here. Yes, finally we got a great, modern, funky looking car on our hands. And it was available now, not in some distant future. My Mazda3 hatch needed a new owner and my Plymouth Voyager was long ready to go, so to the nearest Kia dealer I went, hoping to fall in love with the Soul as soon as I meet it in person. And love at first sight it was! I honestly thought the car looked awesome in real life. And so much bigger than what I expected. Short test drive followed and the second one a few days later, once my excitement cooled off. I always do this. Just in case. I was sold. I fell in love with a Dune/Vanilla color and two-tone charcoal/cream interior with hounds tooth accents. I loved everything about it, but if I had to describe it with just one word, I would have to exclaim that finally I was buying a car that was DIFFERENT!...
Kia Motors America announced the North American debut of the Soul at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Soul, a once concept vehicle, was projected to arrive as early as 2010. To the publics’ pleasure, it debuted as a 2009 model. Following the addition of the midsize SUV, the Borrego, to the Kia line-up, the Soul offers even more options to savvy consumers.
While other dealer’s are struggling, Car Pros Kia continues to flourish primarily with the sales and service of new and certified pre-owned imports. The family owned and involved dealer continues to offers low-cost sales and service without sacrificing customer care. While Car Pros remains committed to ongoing customer satisfaction, savvy buyers are naturally receptiveness to the Kia brand. Consumers lean towards Kia as their import favorite as Kia offers chic new designs, fuel efficiency, minimal initial investment and low ongoing cost of ownership. For additional information about Car Pros Kia of Tacoma visit http://www.kiatacoma.carpros.com/
The Soul playfully conforms to the edgy styling of the modern Kia, while offering even more options for those looking to personalize their vehicle and ownership experience. There are more external and internal styling and package options than any Kia ever offered before. “The Soul is for those who love individuality but don’t like to be categorized by finding the next best thing,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA. The Soul is attracting the adventurer at heart, especially those who have a good handle on their pocket books and want custom styling and a low cost of ownership at the same time.
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With the base model. there is no remote entry-I have to use the key. Unfortunately, there is only one keyhole in the entire car, so I always have to go back to the driver's door if I want to lock the car. ugh. Have a toddler that requires loading and unloading, don't like this.
EVERYTHING else is golden. Love my Kia!
http://www.kia.com/#/soul/explore/360-views-and-colors-exterior/
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So if you are still not aware of it here's the details, the major changes are all new 6 speed transmissions and different engines.
This will give you full current details and lots of photographs, full specs and prices have yet to be announced. This is all US info only.
http://www.kiamedia.com/secure/soul2012.html
Kia builds automobiles. Toyota builds appliances. Kia drivers care about how their cars look and about how they perform. Toyota buyers just care about their car's resale value. Get a solid grip and become a car nut like me. Not a car buyer.
That's the difference. There's Kia Sephia clubs all over South Korea. If I owned a Toyota Corolla I'd just join a quilting club and sit around and talk about the grass popping up and Aunt Tilda's dress needing hemming. Boring.
Appliances for the masses. At Toyota we do them for a living.
2011 Kia Soul Sport 5-speed
Kia provided a letter stating the car complies with all US EPA standards, but will not provide a letter of conformance or compliance in regards to US safety standards. Nobody can seem to tell me what is non-conforming or what modifications would be required (if any) to make it conform.
http://foreignborn.com/visas_imm/entering_us/7importingyourcar.htm
Soul - base, + (plus), ! (exclaim)
Exterior:
Multi-reflector headlamps (base, +)
Projection headlamps w/ LED daytime running lights (!)
LED tail lamps (!)
Revised 18" alloy wheels
Tire width increased from 225/45R18 to 235/45R18
Revised 16" alloy wheels
Revised 15" wheel covers
Revised front fog lights (+ w/ power sunroof w/ fog lights, !)
Rear camera display (+ w/ Audio Upgrade Package; standard on !)
Side mirrors w/ turn signal indicators (+, !)
Revised hood, front and rear fascias
Added Moss to list of exterior colors
Interior:
Revised center stack and gear shift design
UVO system w/ HD Radio UVO in-car hands-free entertainment and communication system package (+ w/ Audio Upgrade Package; standard on !)
Available Navigation system with SiruisXM Traffic™ (! w/ Premium Package)
Available Infinity Audio System (+ w/ Audio Upgrade Package; standard on !)
Telescoping steering wheel
Auto on/off headlamps (+ w/ Audio Upgrade Package; standard on !)
Two-stage heated front seats (vs. previous one-stage) (! w/ Premium Package)
Illuminated sun visor vanity mirrors (+)
Illuminated glove box
Revised speaker lamp illumination (+ w/ Audio Upgrade Package; standard on !)
Tire mobility kit
Revised interior cloth (+)
Mechanical:
1.6-liter four-cylinder GDI engine (base)
2.0-liter four-cylinder MPI engine (+, !)
6-speed automatic transmission (vs. previous 4-speed) (optional on base, +; standard on !)
6-speed manual transmission (vs. previous 5-speed)
Electric power steering (vs. hydraulic)
Active eco system (applies to A/T)
Vehicle Stability Management (VSM)
Hill-start Assist Control (HAC)
Eco Package (A/T only) w/ Idle Stop and Go (ISG) (optional on A/T base, +)
http://www.kiamedia.com/secure/soul2012-photos.php
I like the beige and black interior on the Soul 4u Retro (Canadian model). I'm a senior citizen too.
To be honest, I didn't check the interiors as I was there on an errand. Hopefully the '12's will offer some more subdued color schemes.
Rear camera display (+ w/ Audio Upgrade Package (A/T only);
standard on !)
Interior:
UVO system w/ HD Radio UVO in-car hands-free entertainment and communication system package (+ w/ Audio Upgrade Package (A/T only); standard on !)
Available Infinity Audio System (+ w/ Audio Upgrade Package (A/T only); standard on !)
Auto on/off headlamps (+ w/ Audio Upgrade Package (A/T only);
standard on !)
Revised speaker lamp illumination (+ w/ Audio Upgrade Package (A/T only); standard on !)
1.6L GDI Engine and 2.0L Nu Engine added
Standard 6 Speed Manual Transmission and available 6 Speed Automatic Transmission
Exterior Enhancements
Front / rear bumper design changed
2-bulb headlamp changed to 4-bulb plus available projection feature
Rear lamp design changed and available LED rear tail lamps added
New optional 18” Alloy wheels
Interior Enhancements
New optional 7-inch navigation
New optional UVO infotainment
New optional Supervision cluster
New upper floor console and new 6-speed gear shift knob
Available “Idle Stop-and-Go” Technology
Standard Hill Assist Control (HAC) and Vehicle Stability Management (VSM)
Three new colours added – Misty Green, Olive Green and Saddle Brown
Three colours removed – Java Brown, Orange, Blue Stone
New “Patterned” style cloth interior replaces Houndstooth design
Specifications and trims have been modified
1.6L AT & a/c - $18,995
1.6L AT ECO - $19,995
2.0L 2u MT - $18,995
2.0L 2u AT - $20,195
2.0L 4u MT - $20,495
2.0L 4u AT - $22,695
2.0L 4u Retro AT - $23,495
2.0L 4u Burner AT - $24,195
2.0L 4u Luxury AT - $25,395
http://rides.webshots.com/album/580544387KsNYCP
6-speed 1.6L M/T: 27/35 (CITY +1/HWY +4)
6-speed 1.6L A/T: 27/35 (new for 2012)
6-speed 2.0L M/T: 26/34 (CITY +2/HWY +4)
6-speed 2.0L A/T: 26/34 (CITY +2/HWY +4)
http://www.kia.com/#/upcoming/?fvVehicleID=soul&fvPageID=intro
http://www.kiamedia.com/secure/corporate081611.html
base AT - $15,700
+ MT - $16,300
+ AT - $17,300
! - $19,600
When I purchased my Kia I spent a good 30-45 minutes checked out the whole vehicle (just like a PDI) before I even paid a cent for it and then if something isn't right its either correct then by the service department or I get something else.
On the Canadian Soul's cruise is not available on manual transmission models.
"Soul+ with manual transmission offers additional standard features, including a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, steering wheel-mounted controls, cruise control, hands-free Bluetooth® wireless connectivity, dual front 12-volt power outlets with single power outlet in the cargo area, and tweeter speakers, all enhancing creature comforts on the road. Standard on the Soul+ is a covered upper storage bin, dual visor vanity mirrors with covers and dual map lights, while black cloth seats are adorned with Soul logo inserts. An optional Audio Upgrade Package also is available for Soul+ featuring an Infinity audio system with UVO technology that enhances the sound with a center speaker, subwoofer, external amplifier and speaker lights in a rainbow of colors that pulse to the beat of the music or add mood lighting. A rear camera display is part of the audio upgrade package for enhanced visibility."
Go to www.kiamedia.com and look for it. Save it. Print it out. And use it as a hammer. The Kia site, www.kia.com, shows that Steering Wheel-Mounted Cruise Control is Standard on ALL Soul models. Period. Print that one out and use it as a crowbar.
File a Lemon Law complaint with your State. And forget about the chastising comments earlier from guy who had the nerve to expect you to check that the window sticker was right !
Try contacting the Owner of the Dealership. The Sales Manager and Service Manager both have to adhere to policies, but the Owner could easily make this right with an Auto car, and write off the loss. Bad PR like this will cost just him - the other guys just make salaries.
I'd be mad as hell too. I have been considering a Soul + Manual w/ Cruise, but now...
sorry but that is not accurate, if you click on the link from the spec list with regards the cruise control, there is a disclaimer which states:
"not available on Base and Plus M/T."