2020 Kia Soul X-Line

Almost ten years ago, Kia gave us the funky and quirky Soul. It was Kia’s entry into the boxy, urban-centric offering with competitors like the Nissan Cube and Scion xB. Only the Kia Soul has survived over the years and for good reason. Kia’s overall product improvement, along with constant style design and technology updates have kept the Soul a relevant contender in the subcompact CUV category. But please, let’s leave the gimmicky Hamsters a thing of the past.

INSTANT KIDDO REACTION:
Simon, 14 – “Whoa, Dad! That could be my first car. (Said with a sneaky grin.)
Gabe, 6 – “What in the world is THAT? (He had no idea what to think.)

Styling
The 2020 Kia Soul X-Line delivers a more refined, more mature version of its predecessor. It is impressive to see the transformation from quirky to confident, whimsical to purposeful. Take the front-end fascia for example; the wide-mouth grille, narrow headlight lines, slightly flared fenders, and (thanks to the X-Line trim) beefy body cladding, silver trim accents, and 18-inch rims all work to give the Soul a whole lot of attitude and confidence in a compact package. If you look closely, you can even see a hint of the big and super-popular big brother Telluride in the styling.

The interior is a sea of plastic but textured and well laid out plastic, with the right amount of silver plastic trim. The doors stood out in particular with the crosshatch top panels that seem to extend directly from the front air vents. It just seemed to have a super-smooth flow which is important since you’re going to be surrounded by this vibe every time you’re behind the wheel.

The 2020 Soul X-Line comes with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, automatic headlights, blind-spot warning, lane change assist, rear cross-traffic collision warning, and X-Line exclusive 18-inch allow wheels and roof rails. The infotainment was satisfactory but not mind-blowing with a 7-inch display, equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-speaker audio system.

Performance
The 2020 Kia X-Line only has one engine option: a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder producing 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. Engine response was adequate for its size and weight, but there were a few moments when I would have loved a little extra “pop”. Maybe Kia should consider including the 1.6-liter turbo as an option in the X-Line? It would certainly increase buyer consideration.

The engine is mated to Kia’s IVT – “Intelligent Variable Transmission”. What this means is that this is Kia’s version of a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) that helps smooth out some of the shifting between ratios. Whatever you call it and however it works (too boring to explain here), it’s smooth and does a great job of delivery an enjoyable drive at any speed. The 2020 Soul X-Line delivers 27 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway and a combined 30 mpg all round.

The boys’ verdict…

Simon:
“This is a cool car, Dad. Like, I think it would be a great first car for me and I wouldn’t mind at all if you buy me one. (He’s 14 so I seriously have to start thinking about these things. <gasp>)”

Gabe:
“Dad, yes, I like it. Can I go play Fortnite now?” (He’s 6; and Fortnite is pretty awesome. <facepalm>)

Summary
BASE PRICE: $21,490
PRICE AS TESTED: $22,615
ENGINE: 2.0L 4 cylinder
TRANSMISSION: IVT (Intelligent Variable Transmission)
FUEL ECONOMY: 27 city / 33 highway, 30 combined

It’s important to note that if you decide to go with the X-Line trim, you will be giving up the options that come with the EX or GT models. Features such as dual-zone automatic climate control, multiple USB ports, heated seats, power driver seat adjustment, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, wireless smartphone charging, proximity entry and push-button start. But for me, I’ll give up all of the above to have a much more stylish and confident Soul X-Line. And all the Campos boys agree.

See you on the road.