Kia’s funky crossover, the Soul is back for a third generation. Riding on an all-new platform and with an available turbocharged engine and all-electric motor, the Soul is just about everything the young urbanite would ever need in a vehicle.

The Soul’s new platform is specifically designed to offer a more refined on-road experience. Engineers have tweaked the suspension to cut noise, vibration, and harshness while also sharpening the handling and improving the riding comfort.



Staying true to its boxy silhouette, the 2020 Soul boats of a head-turning design with its headlight cluster connected together with a central trim piece. Together with the slimmed down lighting units, it has a large grille with a two-tone treatment, voluminous front fenders, an airplane inspired C-pillar, and three-dimensional wrap-around taillights. The vertical rear window, a signature Soul design cue, continues over to this third-generation model.

Moving to the inside, Kia says that the Soul is inspired by the “emotional visualization of sound” and for that the cockpit is adorned with shapes and textures that reflect acoustic-inspired elements. For instance, there’s “sound mood lighting” that emanates from the center door panels. Along with its unique 3D patterned door panels, it can actually sync to the beat of the music playing through the audio system. It also features dual climate control and wireless charging.



The Soul’s funky character is backed up with strong street cred. Its base engine is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine making 147 horsepower and 179 Nm of torque mated to either a 6-speed manual or Intelligent Variable Transmission (Kia’s term for a CVT). For those who want a bit more zip, there’s a 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbo making 201 horsepower and 265 Nm of torque mated to a 7-speed dual clutch automatic.

For those who want some buzz, literally, the Soul can also be had as an EV. Using a liquid-cooled lithium-ion polymer 64 KWh battery, the Soul EV makes around 201 horsepower and 395 Nm of torque. Plus, with its Combined Charging System (CCS) DC fast-charge, refilling the battery should take a shorter time.



The question is: will this arrive in the Philippines?

With Kia’s Philippine distributorship currently in limbo, only time will tell if newly-minted distributor Ayala Corporation will bring this funky crossover into the country. Kia’s outgoing distributor, Columbian Autocar Corporation did sell the first- and second-generation Soul albeit with limited success. Here’s hoping that third time’s the charm.