It’s always dangerous when a car-maker tries to dictate what the youthful will find trendy, but done the right way, it can produce memorable results.
Nissan found out as much with the Cube, which achieved cult status in the UK through private imports of the second-generation model. But it wasn’t really that cool at all when it was given an official launch in the UK in its third generation. It lasted only 18 months on sale, showing exactly what car makers like Kia are up against when pitching a car at the fashion conscious.
Kia’s aim with the Soul was to make a car that, for the first time in its history, had customers checking the colours and accessories before they checked the price. The Soul has broadly the same footprint as today’s oversized superminis but, being tall and square-cut, it has more interior space and an almost SUV-like presence.
Maybe that makes it more ‘urban’, an approach that the potent sound system and the accessory options build upon. The Soul is billed as a fashion object in the same vein as a Mini or a Fiat 500.
Kia has tried to keep the Soul current and cool by launching different special-edition models annually. We’ve had some cracking names so far, including Burner, Shaker and Searcher.
Question is: will the Soul be a car to make you do some soul searching of your own? Is there substance to match its bold looks?
