Kia Soul Design vs. the Competition
The Kia Soul is a versatile crossover with a hatchback body style. The boxy exterior design is unique for its class and gives the Soul distinct character. The Kia Soul looks like a cube where rivals are more rounded. This maximizes interior space, as the Soul becomes a practical subcompact car with the space of an SUV.
Flex between 24 to 62 cubic feet of cargo space in this new Kia SUV, which is far more spacious than all rivals. The Mazda CX-30 only offers 20 to 45 cubic feet, while the Hyundai Kona (19 to 46) and Nissan Kicks (32) have less room.
Rear passengers also have more legroom in the Kia Soul, which offers 38.8 inches of comfort. This significantly surpasses the rear legroom figures of the Nissan Kicks (33.5 inches), Hyundai Kona (35.2 inches), and Mazda CX-30 (36.3 inches). Don't forget about headroom. The Kia Soul's higher roof creates more headroom for both front and rear passengers than rivals.
Kia Soul Performance vs. the Competition
Like most small crossovers, the Kia Soul is powered by a 4-cylinder engine, but this subcompact SUV's real strength is exceptional maneuverability on Long Beach streets. Fuel economy is another perk, and the Kia Soul sits near the top by earning 28 miles per gallon on city streets through Los Angeles and up to 35 highway miles per gallon traveling along The 405 and the San Diego Freeway through Long Beach.
The Mazda CX-30 maxes out at 26/33 (city/highway) miles per gallon. The Nissan Kicks (36 highway miles per gallon) and Hyundai Kona (35 highway miles per gallon) match the Kia Soul's efficiency.
Kia Soul Tech & Safety vs. the Competition
The Soul is equipped with several standard Kia DriveWise safety features that are similar to the Kicks with the Nissan Safety Shield® 360 and the Kona's Hyundai SmartSense suite. The Kia Soul is a bit more connected than most small SUVs, though, thanks to a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation and wireless charging.