The Kia Soul EV delivers swift acceleration, intelligent regenerative braking and a comfortable ride
Some electric cars lose momentum after 30 miles per hour, but the 2023 Kia Soul EV is an exception, and something different. The Kia Soul electric makes you feel fast and confident, even at highway speeds, and inside the city it merges with traffic with ease. Regenerative braking takes over the 2023 Kia Soul EV, and you can adjust the rate of deceleration using the paddles behind the steering wheel. With practice, you will get used to driving without the brake pedal.
The electric Kia Soul can be driven in four driving modes: Normal, Sport, and Eco+. The latter puts the electric Kia Soul into maximum efficiency mode, to the point where power is reduced and the air conditioning is turned off. It’s a seemingly doomed experience, but it can come in handy if you’re close to hitting the few miles left on the battery.
The 2023 Kia Soul EV is a pure joy to drive. The steering is light, but not overly light. There is a fair amount of body roll, but it is checked. And the ride quality isn’t overly stiff, something that doesn’t always deliver in a heavy-duty electric vehicle. And Kia Soul EV 2023 suppresses wind and road noise, to give you a wonderful silent driving experience.
The 2023 Kia Soul EV may be one of the best electric cars out there. It’s comfortable and will stay at your fingertips for up to 280 miles of electric range. Add to this that it has exceptionally low operating costs, which may make up for the exorbitant amount you incurred for the 2023 Kia Soul EV.
The status of the 2023 Kia Soul EV electric car
The original Kia Soul EV was one of the first electric cars we saw, but sales faltered due to the high price, limited range, lack of charging stations in its infancy, and a lack of interest in electric cars at the time. The price of the 2023 Kia Soul EV is still high, costing around £35,500.
2023 Kia Soul electric competitors
The 2023 Kia Soul EV’s decent range could be the deciding factor with which the electric Kia Soul steers its ever-growing number of competitors. Neither the popular Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe can match the maximum range of the 2023 Kia Soul EV, while the Hyundai Ioniq is a capable competitor, but it still can’t match the Soul in mileage on a single charge.
The Volkswagen ID.3 Life Pro Performance Edition is available at a similar price, while you’ll save around £5,000 if you opt for the Hyundai Kona Electric, although again you can’t match the range and range of the 2023 Kia Soul EV. Its small box and exorbitant price are what prevent the Kia Soul EV 2023 from reaching the top of its class in the electric car sector, and the Kia Niro is more practical than it, but the Kia Soul is more interesting, and helps take the electric car industry to the next level.
Package options for the 2023 Kia Soul
For 2023, the 2023 Kia Soul EV continues to pack as many goodies as possible. The LX Technology package is equipped with Rear Cross Traffic Collision Avoidance, Blind Spot Collision Avoidance.
While the GT-Line Technology package gets you even more, such as driver assistance systems, navigation-based Intelligent Cruise Control and Highway Driving Assistant. Next to a Harman/Kardon sound system and an external speaker.
The exterior design of the 2023 Kia Soul
The new Kia Soul EV 2023 has a bold design, in the front area, and shines with a new face, after it acquired a new grille, in the middle of slim LED headlights and new fog lights. And the DRLs are integrated into the new lights and turn signals fairly seamlessly. The rear section has been significantly reworked. To retain the vertical taillight concept, the lights that surround the upper half of the tailgate are removed.
The 2023 Kia Soul EV is arguably less dramatic than its predecessor, but its boxy proportions and slim, dual LED headlights give the Soul EV a unique look. Likewise, the array of LED taillights is eye-catching, while the 17-inch alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, and solar windshield are standard features. You can also choose the 2023 Kia Soul with 18-inch alloy wheels.
2023 Kia Soul Electric Colors
It is available in single and two-tone paint schemes within the new two-tone paint programs, such as Surf Blue with a Fusion Black roof, and Clear White with a Fusion Black roof.
Dimensions of the 2023 Kia Soul electric car
The Kia Soul EV is 4,195mm long and 1,800mm wide. In comparison, the Kia E Niro is 4,375 mm long and 1,805 mm wide. Despite being smaller, the Soul EV makes good use of the available space.
Interior cabin design of the 2023 Kia Soul electric car
The 2023 Kia Soul EV features a long list of equipment and an excellent infotainment system. The interior design is a mixture of ‘all-new’ and ‘tried and tested’. It features a new 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation. The 2023 Kia Soul EV uses the same powertrain as the e-Niro, but they are different in looks. The e-Niro is dark and traditional, while the 2023 electric Kia Soul is bold.
Inside, the 2023 Kia Soul EV is more upscale than before, with an easy-to-use switchgear, and an elevated driving position favored by SUV drivers. It does have some plastic in the lower areas, but the main contact points make a good impression. The seats are leather and heated, the steering wheel is heated, and the driver’s seat is given eight-way power adjustment and air conditioning.
Infotainment and navigation system in the 2023 Kia Soul electric car
The Kia Soul EV 2023 features a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation, a head-up display, and a 10-speaker Harman Kardon luxury audio system, and supports the integration of both types of phone systems.
It also provides two USB ports, and a wireless charger for smartphones. The infotainment display’s graphics are sharp, clear, and easy to read, while the satellite navigation system responds quickly to input.
Comfort and practicality in the 2023 Kia Soul electric car
The new 2023 Kia Soul EV is larger than its predecessor, but still smaller than the E Niro. It’s certainly less practical than non-electric competitors, but the 2023 Kia Soul EV is roomy enough when judged in the context of a compact SUV.
It’s worth noting that if you’re looking for enough space for a growing family, you might want to consider the extra space offered by the Volkswagen ID3 or Nissan Leaf, while the MG ZS EV is larger, cheaper and offers a compelling practicality package, if no match for the range. Kia’s compact and square SUV.
The spaciousness and spaciousness of the 2023 Kia Soul electric car
There’s plenty of legroom and headroom throughout the cabin, although the center seat in the rear is best suited for children or occasional use. However, the 2023 Kia Soul EV can seat four tall adults in total comfort, which is impressive for a vehicle of this size.
Storage space in the 2023 Kia Soul electric car
The boot provides 315 liters of luggage capacity, 34 liters more than the old Soul. And with the rear seat folded down 60/40, space increases to 1,339 liters, but it’s still less than the e-Niro’s boot space, but you still have the option to lower the boot floor.
The engine of the 2023 Kia Soul electric car
The Soul EV will silently accelerate from 0-60mph in just 7.6 seconds, reaching a top speed of 104mph. By comparison, the Nissan Leaf E+ runs the same race in 7.3 seconds, while the Renault Zoe is the slowest of the three, taking 9.5 seconds to hit 60 mph.
Some electric cars lose momentum after 30mph, but that’s simply not the case with the Soul EV. It feels quick and confident, even at highway speeds, allowing you to blend into traffic with ease. Regenerative braking takes care of stopping the Soul EV, and you can adjust the rate of deceleration using paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. With practice, you will get used to driving without a brake pedal.
There are four driving modes: Normal, Sport and Eco+. The latter puts the Soul EV in maximum efficiency mode, to the point where power drops and the air conditioning is turned off. It’s a torturous experience, but it can be helpful if you’re about to hit the last few miles.
The Soul is a totally fun car to drive. The steering is light, but not overly so. There is a fair amount of body roll, but it is checked. And the ride quality isn’t overly stiff, something that doesn’t always deliver in a heavy-duty electric vehicle. Even wind and road noise are suppressed, creating an eerily silent driving experience.
The range “range” of the electric Kia Soul 2023
Once you’ve negotiated the hefty price list, low running costs combine with the 2023 Soul EV’s good range to make this a desirable electric vehicle. The 64kWh lithium-ion battery provides up to 280 miles of range, and can And connected to a 100kW DC charger, it will recharge the battery to 80% in less than an hour.
With zero road tax (VED), zero company car tax and low running costs, the Soul EV should be cheap to run for most people. This helps offset the relatively high purchase price.
Battery charge and charging time in the 2023 Kia Soul electric car
The 2023 Soul EV features a single electric motor that sends 201 horsepower and 395 Nm of torque to the front wheels, drawing its energy from a 64 kWh battery located under the floor. Officially, up to 280 miles of range is available on a single charge, though you’d likely see between 230 and 240 miles in the real world.
The CCS charging port is located at the front of the vehicle. It can be charged up to a 77 kW charger, so you can take advantage of the 100 kW fast chargers that are installed on the highways and on the highways. Kia’s UCO Connect system allows you to check the vehicle’s charge status and adjust the cabin temperature.
The battery can be recharged to 80% in 54 minutes when the Soul EV is connected to a 100kW DC charger. Using a Type 2 cable and a 7.2kW home wall charger, a full charge should take about 9.5 hours. Using the local electricity tariff this should cost no more than £9.
Value for money for the 2023 Kia Soul electric car
The Soul EV should retain 50 per cent of its value after three years and 36,000 miles, so if you opt to buy outright you’ll be looking at around £18,000 in depreciation over a typical ownership period of 36 months. However, this should be partially offset by lower daily operating costs.
Kia Soul EV 2023 reliability
An electric car should be more reliable than a car powered by a petrol or diesel engine, not least because there are fewer moving parts. Tires and brakes are likely to be the most expensive consumables.
In the Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, Kia ranked second out of 30 manufacturers. Customers have been impressed with the levels of practicality, rugged reliability and well-designed cabins across the range.
Although the Soul EV has not been tested by Euro NCAP safety experts, the car gets an impressive array of driver aids and safety kit as standard. The list includes forward collision-avoidance assist, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert, high-beam assist, multiple airbags and Isofix points in the rear.
2023 Kia crash test results
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2023 Kia Soul an overall safety rating of four out of five stars. The Kia Soul earned five stars in the side crash test and four stars in the frontal crash and rollover tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not crash-tested the 2023 Soul at the time of writing.
2023 Safety and Security Features of the 2023 Kia Soul Electric Vehicle
Standard safety, security and driver assistance features include:
- rear view camera
- Monitor the driver’s attention
- Forward collision warning with pedestrian detection
- Forward automatic emergency braking system
- High beam automatic headlights
- Lane keeping assistance
- Rear Seat Alert (reminds you to check back seats for children or pets before getting out of the car)
Driver assistance features available as options:
- Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert
- Lane departure warning
- Adaptive cruise control
- Pheasant detection
Maintenance and warranty costs for the 2023 Kia Soul electric car
The Soul EV benefits from an impressive seven-year warranty, and while Kia’s driver rating is impressive, the Soul EV is covered by the same seven-year/100,000-mile warranty as the rest of the Kia range. You can review the non-electric Kia Soul from here .
2023 Kia Soul Electric Service
The Soul EV requires service every year or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. Kia offers a number of different service plans for the Soul EV. For cars up to a year old, the most expensive plan covers the first five services for the first 60 months or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.
2023 Kia Soul electric features
- Lots of high tech equipment
- Long driving range “big range”
- Ample interior and cargo space
- Easy to use touch screen
Disadvantages of the electric Kia Soul 2023
- Slightly harsh ride quality
- Not as practical as the e-Niro
- The interior could look more interesting
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