In 2005, Kia’s Irvine, California-based design team designed a 5-seat hatchback aimed at hip urban youths. They came up with a vehicle that was considered an economy runabout sport wagon, when it was launched, four years later. Since entering the “hip hatchback” marketplace in 2009, the Kia Soul has resonated with consumers and has earned a solid following in the compact multi-purpose vehicle segment, and along the way it has grown in size, power, sophistication and functionality, while retaining its hipness.

The third-generation 2020 Kia Soul is fully redesigned, with a revamped exterior, a more powerful powertrain and an upgraded cabin. While retaining some of Soul’s heritage boxiness and confident stance, the exterior is punctuated with innovative line sculpture, precise details and technical lighting elements to appeal to its main youthful and trend-setting audience. New exterior design highlights include high-tech front headlight configuration with connecting trim piece; slim-design daytime running lights and turn signal indicators; a larger front grille with unique two-tone treatment; three-dimensional wraparound boomerang-shaped taillights; C-pillars designed to resemble airplane wings and distinctive C-pillar garnish that features a new “Soul” graphic.

Cabin improvements include available sound mood lighting that emits soft light from the center door panels, and an exclusive 3D pattern surface on the upper door panels, with the ability to synchronize to the beat of the music playing through the Soul’s audio system. Sound mood lighting features a rainbow of customizable colors.

And Soul power has been upgraded for 2020 to include a 201-hp 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbocharged I-4 GDI engine.

My test 2020 Soul in GT-Line Turbo trim came loaded with such exterior enhancements as 18-inch alloy wheels, 235/45 R18 tires, Chrome-tipped center exhaust, GT-Line exterior appearance, high gloss black outside power-adjustable mirrors, LED front fog lights and headlights, LED rear tail lights and center high mounted stop light, mirror-mounted LED turn-signal indicators, and a power sunroof with manual sunshade. Also packed inside, the Soul GT-Line cabin included a Harman Kardon® Audio System with center speaker, subwoofer and external amplifier; Head-Up Display; heated D-shaped leather steering wheel; LED interior lighting; Satin Chrome interior door handles; power windows with driver one-touch auto-Up/Down; smart cruise control and speaker lights with multiple ambience themes. Standard safety upgrades in the GT-Line trim included Forward Collision Avoidance-Assist with Pedestrian Detection and High Line Tire-Pressure Monitoring System.

The redesign has grown Soul to a 102.4-inch wheelbase, a gain of 1.2 inches. Its length is now 165.2 inches long, up 2.2 inches, whiles its width and height remain the same as the previous generation, at 70.9 inches wide and 63.0 inches high. Ground clearance is up 0.8 inches at 6.7 inches, and curbweight is now over 3000 lbs., a significant gain of more than 200 pounds since I last drove a Soul -- model year 2014.

Inside, while I found Soul’s cabin noisy at high speed from wind and tire clatter, the compartment is still hip, intuitive and high-tech, though the all-new Soul has lost some headroom, at 39.4 inches up front – a loss of 0.2 inches – with the same second row headroom – 39.5 inches – as last year. Legroom gains 0.2 inches in row one, at 41.1 inches, while row two loses 0.3 inches of legroom to 38.8 inches. Shoulder room remains unchanged at 55.5 inches in front and 54.7 inches in the rear. Cargo capacity gains 5 cubic feet, to 23.8 cu.ft.

Powerwise, Soul offers two engine choices– one naturally-aspirated and one turbo. The 2.0-liter Nu four-cylinder engine mated to either a 6-speed manual transmission or Intelligent Variable Transmission delivers 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque … a gain of 9 horses over the last Soul I-4 I drove in 2013. But the more fun drive comes with the 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbocharged I-4 GDI engine with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, This system puts out 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. Economically, the 2.0 automatic is rated at 27mpg/city, 33mpg/highway and 30mpg/combined; and the 1.6 turbo is rated at 27/city, 32/highway and 29/overall. My week-long test garnered a 28.8mpg average.

Fun to drive, Soul’s turbo engages and is gentle on cruises, and while the independent front suspension with MacPherson strut and Retainer-type sandwich valves working with a coupled torsion beam axle rear doesn’t provide a luxury ride, it does maneuver deftly and predictably. Fun at the track as well, Soul exhibited good passing speed and finished off a zero-to-60mph run in 6.5 seconds during at 14.9-second (hand-timed) quarter-mile.

Kia Soul is packaged and priced for many tastes and economic ranges, starting with the Base LX trim at $17,490. Its other trims start at $20,290 for the S; $20,290 for the GT-Line; $21,490 for the X-Line; $22,690 for the EX-Line and $27,490 for my test GT-Line Turbo that was dressed in Inferno Red exterior paint matched to a Black Leatherette and cloth interior. The standard Soul GT-Line Turbo trim is loaded, so we only added a special Turbo bumper appliqué for $75; sport pedals for $100; GT-Line mud guards for $115; and carpet floor mats for $135. After adding $1120 for destination charges, my 2020 Kia Soul GT-Line Turbo stickered at $29,035.

> Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.

Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>

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