Another car with a manual transmission has been dropped, but this time around, it’s not a sports car or a high-performance sedan. Kia has discontinued the do-it-yourself gearbox for the 2022 Soul. The manual transmission was available on last year’s LX trim, which now comes with Kia’s continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) as standard. The change, along with a few other updates, has resulted in a price increase for the 2022 Soul.
Pricing for the 2022 Kia Soul LX now starts at $20,365 including destination. Last year, the Soul LX with the manual transmission cost $18,765 or $1,600 less than the new model year. While the model's starting price has gone up, the more popular CVT isn't all that much more expensive to buy. Comparing apples to apples, a 2022 Soul is only $100 more than a 2021 model with the optional CVT.
With the death of the manual transmission for the Soul, Kia only has one vehicle that can be equipped with a manual transmission — the 2021 Kia Forte. The Soul was one of the few subcompact SUVs on sale that could be equipped with a manual transmission.
The Subaru Crosstrek starts at $23,295 and is the only remaining subcompact SUV to be offered with a manual transmission. Across the automotive industry, automakers are dropping manual transmission as quickly as possible, because consumers aren’t buying them.
The CVT isn’t the only change the LX trim gets, as the entry-level model now comes with a larger 8-inch touchscreen that grows by one inch from last year. Additionally, buyers can now opt for the new LX Technology Package that brings a suite of advanced safety features and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Moving up to the S trim sees an increase of $800 from last year, carrying a starting price tag of $22,665. That trim, though, gets a lot of new equipment that includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen, navigation, a wireless charger, dual-zone climate control, two USB ports, and push-button start. These features are now standard on the X-Line and GT-Line trims that both cost $23,765.
The other update that affects the entire 2022 Soul line is the addition of Kia’s new badge on the hood, tailgate, wheels, and steering wheel. The Soul becomes the latest vehicle in Kia’s lineup to get the new badge, following the Carnival, Seltos, Stinger, and Telluride.
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