Used Kia Soul EV 2020-present review review

Is the hit 1967 single “Soul Man” by Sam & Dave really about one man’s ownership of a Kia Soul? Well, of course it isn’t – the original model didn’t arrive until 2009. That being said, it might have been the focal point of the song if it were recorded today. Especially in this electric (EV) form, the car has many endearing features, such as impressive range, good equipment levels, reasonable used prices and funky styling. Be prepared to sing its praises – perhaps literally.

Following on from its all-electric predecessor, the latest Soul EV gets a much bigger battery – a 64kWh one – and a lot more power. With 201bhp and a 0-62mph time of 7.6sec, it’s brisk. The model feels urgent from the moment you put your foot down and continues to pull consistently up to motorway speeds.

Unlike some electric cars, there's no sparsely equipped entry-level Soul EV. In fact, they're all groaning with standard kit. On top of must-haves such as sat-nav, DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, early cars, which went by the name of First Edition, gave you a Harman Kardon premium sound system, 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with online connectivity for up-to-date traffic and parking information, plus leather trim with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, and automatic air conditioning.

You also got LED headlights, electrically folding and adjustable heated door mirrors and automatic wipers. And the great news is that, when First Edition trim was replaced with Maxx, that long standard kit list was unchanged.

On the road, the Soul EV controls its body movements well over undulating B roads and takes the sting out of potholes. That said, it’s still choppier than some more premium rivals. It fidgets slightly at all times, even on smooth roads.

Naturally, being electric, its punchy performance is cloaked in serenity. Its motor emits nothing more than a faint murmur when pushed and the Soul EV is a far more tranquil travelling companion than any equivalent diesel SUV. You’ll notice some road and wind noise at 70mph, but the suspension thudding noticeably over bumps is the most prevalent audible intrusion around town.

The Kia Soul EV is a good example of how designers can make a car easy to use. The model has a supportive driver’s seat that feels high enough, without leaving you feeling unnaturally perched. The seat isn’t heavily bolstered, but still holds you in place well enough around corners and is electrically adjustable as standard, including for height and lumbar adjustment. There’s a fully rake and reach-adjustable steering wheel with plenty of range.

The standard 7.0in digital instrument screen doesn’t offer any greater functionality over a set of regular analogue dials. You unfortunately cannot configure the screen to show a full-screen navigation map, for instance, but it’s easy to read, with clear graphics.

The Soul EV’s sharply defined 10.3in touchscreen is mounted high for easy viewing, and its graphics are ace, especially the 3D sat-nav maps, which render cityscapes accurately. It’s also responsive and most of the menus are intuitive enough that you won’t need to break out the manual every time you use it.

Interior-quality-wise, there are some hard plastics dotted around, but because the whole is spruced up by enough soft-finish surfaces in the places that you will be pawing regularly, you won’t be left feeling short changed.

In the front that means more than enough leg and head room even for those well over six feet tall, and there’s enough width to prevent you or your passenger feeling squished. Rear space is better than you’ll find in the Kia e-Niro; there’s marginally more leg room and much more head room — two six-footers can sit happily behind two more in the front seats without struggling for space, but the seating position is more upright than the e-Niro’s.

The boot is one area of weakness for the Kia Soul EV. At 315 litres, it’s not much bigger than a Ford Fiesta boot. That said, it’s a tall and usable shape, and big enough to easily accommodate a week’s worth of shopping.

If you're interested in finding a used Kia Soul, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

As of writing, the Soul EV has yet to gain much of a presence on the used market. With this in mind, prices are still quite high, though reasonable. For a 2020 First Edition example, expect to pay around £28,000 at the least.

Check the value of a used Kia Soul EV with What Car? Valuations

Find a used Kia Soul for sale here

Electric range

The Soul EV has an impressive official range of 280 miles, which is around the same distance that the Kia e-Niro can manage between charges.

As with any electric car, Soul EV owners benefit from zero-rate Vehicle Excise Duty and free entrance to the London Congestion Charge zone, plus – in many boroughs – free parking, too. Charging the battery will cost you a lot less than refilling a regular car with petrol or diesel, and, from a 7.2kW home wall box, will take nine hours 35 minutes to go from zero to 100 per cent. You can also charge from 0 to 80 per cent in 54 minutes at a service station equipped with a 100kW DCC fast charger, or in an hour and 15 minutes if it’s a 50kW unit.

Road tax

You will currently not have to pay anything in road tax, due to the Soul EV being an all-electric vehicle. Find out more about road tax costs here.

Insurance and servicing

In terms of insurance groups, the Soul EV sits in the middle, meaning it shouldn't be overly pricy to insure, though it won't be particularly cheap either. All Soul EVs will come with a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty from new, which will carry on after the car's been sold used.

With First Edition and Maxx being essentially the same, it doesn't really matter which version you pick. That being said, as First Edition cars came out sooner, these will likely outnumber Maxx cars for a while on the used market. And with just the one battery size available, there isn't any more choice there either.

However, with all versions very well equipped, and having great performance and range capabilities, that lack of choice really isn't an issue.

Our favourite Kia Soul EV: 64kWh First Edition

Compared with the Soul EV, the Kia e-Niro is much more common on the used market, but year-old examples of that car can set you back up to £4,000 more. Mind you, the e-Niro has more boot space, so its the way to go if you're not swayed by the Soul EV's funky looks and have some extra cash to spend.

A used, year-old Hyundai Kona Electric can be bought for close to what you'll pay for a Soul EVs. It uses the same 201bhp 64kWh battery but has an even longer official electric range – 300 miles, to be exact. It's not exactly generous on rear passenger space or boot capacity, though.

If you're interested in finding a used Kia Soul, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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