Kia Soul hands-on

The Soul’s centre console houses a number of high-tech features that we’ve come to expect from modern cars. These include USB, an auxiliary audio input and Bluetooth music functions as well as video playback. The 8-inch touch screen allows users to hone the computer system to their liking, although it isn’t particularly responsive and sometimes takes a couple of prods to successfully select an item. We wouldn’t recommend playing around with the touchscreen while driving.

The satnav system is, as you’d hope, good at navigation, although we had trouble adjusting the screen when driving. Attempting to zoom in or change the view point proved difficult and some of the buttons aren’t labelled clearly enough for our liking. The inclusion of 3D buildings for inner-city driving is a nice touch, though.

The presence of a DAB radio as well as the FM receiver is also a welcome addition, although we were initially unsure how to change the station. We’d have liked a slightly nippier, more responsive onboard computer, but it’s not a bad system.

While many of the onboard computer’s functions can be controlled with buttons on the steering wheel, a great deal of them can also be activated via voice control. However, we found the reliability of voice-prompted actions to be fairly patchy, with some commands requiring a second prompt for the computer to understand what we wanted to happen.

More expensive Mixx and Maxx Soul models will be available from July, and will cost around £21,550. An all-electric model is also in the works for the fourth quarter of 2014, with Kia claiming a 200 kilometre range on a single charge.

The 2014 Kia Soul is really worth a look if you can stomach the styling, especially once the company’s generous seven-year/100,000 mile warranty is taken into consideration. However, crucial figures such as its insurance group and NCAP safety rating are yet to emerge, and this will undoubtedly influence your buying decision.

With a fairly good diesel engine and a high-quality interior coupled with decent technology, the Kia Soul is a practical and stylish car. The Nissan Juke and Renault Captur are well established in the crossover category, but the Kia Soul is a good budget choice for younger drivers. The Juke may prove to be a more steadfast rival, however, as it provides similar value, better fuel economy and more fashionable styling that may appeal to a wider audience.