Cross-over Kia is a real cheerful Soul

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Launched a few months ago, it still attracts attention wherever it goes probably because it is quite different from you average car, SUV or other crossovers and because sales of the trendy wagon "have been brisk and beyond our expectations", according to Kia who, like sister brand Hyundai, do not disclose actual sales figures.

I liked the little pug-faced Kia from the first time I drove it when Kia unwrapped it last year and I remember describing it as looking like "a love-child of the slant-roofed Range Rover Evoque". But if nothing else, it certainly lifted the bar for off-centre styling, a trend seen quite widely these days on vehicles such as the VW Up, Opel Adam, Opel Mokka, the MINI Paceman/Clubman, Peugeot, Fiat 500, Renault Captur and Citroen Cactus.

Bright colours and combination of colours are certainly back in mode, and the Soul is right up there with the best. Our test car in which I recently whizzed around in Cape Town for a week was painted a bright "acid green metallic" which made its day-light running lights almost superfluous.

Our test car was the 1.6 Start manual, the most popular model in the range and the least expensive, but even at this level the Soul's fancy kit include 17-inch alloys, ABS brakes, front fog lamps, high-mounted rear stop lamps, body-coloured door handles, electric-heated folding door mirrors, a windscreen auto-defogging system, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat backrest, manual air-conditioning, an audio system with six speakers, radio with RDS and MP3 / Aux connectivity, electric windows and a Bluetooth hands-free system.

The slinky Korean comes in three specification levels, Start, Street and Smart packages powered by a 1.6 petrol-engine version which has 91kW and 152Nm on call, a 2.0-litre petrol model that produces 116kW and 192Nm and a perky 1.6-litre diesel that kicks out 94kW and 260Nm. The two range-topping Smart versions only come equipped with auto boxes but the other models offer the choice between a six-speed manual and auto transmission.

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Not only does the Soul put bright colours and two-tone body paint back on the map, it also has huge bracket-style, high-mounted rear lights, "look-at-me" daytime running lights, a cute bum and a pug-cocky face.

But there is a lot more to like than just the look-at-me looks of this futuristic urban wagon than its ultra-chic make-up. Slide into its living quarters and check out its stitched seating, shiny piano-black finishes and a steering wheel that gives you finger-tip control of audio, cruise control Bluetooth and trip computer functions.

In "music" mode the speaker rims pulsate in red to the beat of the music and in "mood" mode, the colour changes at regular intervals with the tweeter speakers producing top-notch sound from whatever mobile storage devices you plug in. Another attention grabber is a prominent touchscreen complete with rear view camera.

But looks and wizardry aside, the cube-shaped Kia is a comfortable, practical and economical family run-around with lots of space for passengers and luggage, thanks to flexible seating (the back seat also folds flat for more luggage space).

For a little fella, the cabin space is seriously impressive with enough room, including class-leading rear seat legroom and shoulder room, to comfortably house four big Springbok forwards.

On the road the 1.6 petrol-sipper scoots along quite merrily, nippy enough to keep up with the traffic. Because of its size and light steering it is a perfect little city car and parking it is a doddle.

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Out on the motorway, the 91kW/253Nm engine needs to be pedalled quite hard to keep the revs up, and the soup spoon needs to be used quite frequently to select lower gears on undulating stretches, particularly with a full load of passengers and luggage on board, but the Soul never really feels sluggish. The six-speed manual box is smooth and the steering quite adequate for a family-carrier of this kind. The ride is actually less hip-hop than its shape suggests and the ABS brakes (standard across the range) do a fine job of scrubbing off speed.
It is also well-kitted out in the safety department with passenger, side and curtain airbags, a vehicle stability management system and hill start assist - a combination which gives it one of the highest safety ratings in this class.

To personalise the different models even further, there are also a number of optional extras to choose from.

The cutesy-pie Soul is an ideal family transporter because it easily slots in for a number of duties: daily commuter, school run taxi, holiday and leisure transport or second family car (the luggage space will easily hold a few golf bags). It is reasonably priced and the price tags across the range include a five-year/150,000 warranty, a four-year service plan and three years of unlimited roadside assistance.

The models and prices are:

• Kia Soul 1.6 MT Start - Manual R244 995
  
• Kia Soul 1.6 MT Start Automatic - R256,995
  
• Kia Soul 2.0 MT Street - R279,995
  
• Kia Soul 2.0 Smart Automatic - R320,995
  
• Kia Soul 1.6D MT Street - R304,995
  
• Kia Soul 1.6 Smart Automatic - R345,995