Page 76 - Motor Trend (April 2020)
P. 76
ACURA RDX
Updates on our long-term fleet
MT
power-adjustable driver’s seat,
heated front seats and outside
mirrors, and a wireless phone
charger. Other features that
also come standard in lower-
trim Souls include hill-start
assist control, tire pressure
monitoring, Android Auto and
Apple CarPlay, keyless entry,
Bluetooth wireless connec-
tivity, cruise control, 60/40
split rear seats, and auto-on/
off headlights.
That’s a healthy list, but
to give the Soul some extra
pizzazz we also ticked the box
for the $1,500 EX Designer
Collection package, which
adds 18-inch alloy wheels;
LED headlights, foglights,
ARRIVAL: 2020 Kia Soul and taillights; and leatherette
seat trim. We rounded out
the package with carpeted
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB Fuel Econ: mated to a CVT, or Intelli- floormats for $130 and a cargo
25/35/29 mpg gent Variable Transmission tray for $95. Total: $25,755.
(IVT), as Kia calls it. The EX I can’t give a reliable first
“I put my heart and this Soul into
my work, and have lost my mind comes with a substantial list impression just yet because
in the process.” Robin Trajano of safety features, including I’m still mourning the depar-
forward collision avoidance, ture of my beloved BMW X3
Base price $23,685 As tested $25,755 blind-spot collision warning, M40i (verdict to come). To
rear cross-traffic collision help ease the pain of moving
hen the Kia Soul was Now the Soul is in its third avoidance assist, lane from a luxury compact SUV
W first introduced to generation, freshly revitalized keep, and driver attention to an affordable subcompact,
the U.S. via dancing with its most drastic change warning. Convenience and I’m hoping the Soul still
hamsters, it was a hit. Its yet but still retaining its luxury features include a retains enough of the mojo
combination of funky styling, box-on-wheels figure. Nissan, large 10.3-inch touchscreen that made its previous itera-
eye-catching colors, and Scion, and Toyota have all display, dual-zone climate tions so popular.
fun marketing made it Kia’s abandoned their boxy hatches, control, a leather-wrapped I will say that I’m dreading
best-seller. but Kia still has hopes for the steering wheel and shifter, a going from 355 hp down to 147.
Soul. We’ve added a 2020 Kia
Soul EX to our long-term fleet
to see if it still has enough,
ahem, soul to stand out in a
segment that’s saturated with
solid options.
We opted for the EX trim,
one step below the range-
topping GT-Line Turbo, and
sprang for the Platinum Gold
exterior, a $345 option. The
EX starts at $23,685. It comes
with the standard 2.0-liter
four-cylinder engine pumping The Soul's well-equipped
out a meager 147 horsepower (and well-designed) cabin is
one of the many things that
76 MOTORTREND.COM APRIL 2020 made it a Car of the Year finalist.
