The Kia Soul continues to be a funky, spacious, and value-forward option in the subcompact segment. The current Soul came out for its third generation in 2020. With a redesign expected to arrive for the 2025 model year, the Soul is set to receive a refresh for the upcoming 2023 model year.
The first thing to note is that the trim lineup has been simplified. Gone are the X-Line and Turbo trims, leaving the LX, S, EX, and GT-Line variations. For the exterior design, the basic boxy form remains the same, but will now have a new front and rear fascia, new grille, and available LED headlights and taillights as well as restyled foglights. The 2023 Soul also receives new Daytime Running Lamps and turn signal as well as 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels. To keep with the fun design, Kia is adding several solid and two-tone colors available such Clear White or Surf Blue with a Fusion Black roof.
The interior of the Soul may not be nearly as quirky as the exterior, but it is packed with a decent amount of gear. For the 2023 model year, the Soul has a 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation, a Harman/Kardon audio system, an external amplifier, subwoofer, multi-colored LED speaker lights that pulse with the music, door-mounted tweeters, and heated front seats.
Kia is changing from two available powertrain options to only one. It’s losing the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that was reserved for the now gone Turbo trim. This leaves only the 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine that makes 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. The automaker’s Intelligent Variable Transmission is now standard across the entire lineup as well.
This subcompact SUV is going to see some upgrades in the safety department as well. Each trim seems to have its own list of available features, but some of the highlights include blind-spot collision avoidance, forward collision avoidance with junction turning, rear cross collision avoidance, navigation-based smart cruise control, electronic parking brake, and highway drive assist. The features that are now standard across the whole Soul lineup include forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, driver attention warning, and rear occupant alert.
