Kia has revealed UK pricing and specifications for the 2023 model year Soul EV line-up, as order books open for the newly upgraded model.
In 2021, Soul EV registrations were up 28 per cent compared to the previous year, and that’s with just one well-equipped model on offer. Now, Kia is widening the customer appeal of the Soul EV with the availability of an exciting, revised, two-grade model tier structure. A new ‘Urban’ specification joins the ‘Explore’ grade to offer buyers a fresh choice of highly equipped, distinctively styled models, including a new ‘medium-range’ battery for the first time.
UK customer deliveries for the new Soul EV models commence during Q4 2022, with prices starting at £32,795 for the ‘Urban’ grade with ‘medium range’ battery pack, with ‘Explore’ specification fitted with the ‘long range’ battery pack costing £38,995.
A pair of powertrains options
For the first time in the UK, Kia is offering a 39.2kWh battery pack in the Soul EV ‘Urban’, with a maximum (WLTP Combined) range of 171 miles, or up to 252 miles in a city setting. It can take just 54 minutes to recharge the battery pack from 0-80 per cent using an 80kW rapid charger, while a 7.2kW home charger will replenish the battery from 0-100 per cent in 6 hours and 10 minutes. For owners without a dedicated home charger, a domestic plug socket can recharge the Soul EV from 0-100 per cent in 18 hours. The car is powered by a 100kW (134bhp) electric motor, producing a maximum torque of 395Nm.The ‘Urban’ model is mated to a single-speed automatic transmission and can achieve a top speed of 97mph, with a 0-62mph acceleration figure of 9.9 seconds.
The anticipated best-seller in the line-up is the 64kWh ‘Explore’ grade, featuring SUV-inspired design cues. With a (WLTP Combined) driving range of 280 miles, up to 402 miles is possible when driven in the city, making the best use of the Soul EV’s flexible regenerative braking system that can be altered using the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. By visiting an 80kW rapid charger, the Soul EV ‘Explore’ can be recharged 0-80 per cent in the same 54 minutes as the ‘Urban’ model, despite the battery being 63 per cent larger. Plug in the ‘Explore’ at home with a 7.2kW charger and the battery can be easily replenished overnight from 0-100 per cent in 9 hours and 35 minutes, while a domestic charger will take 29 hours to recharge 0-100 per cent. This grade is powered by a 150kW (201bhp) electric motor with a maximum torque of 395Nm, enabling a top speed of 104mph, with a 7.9 second acceleration dash from
0-62mph.
‘Urban’ and ‘Explore’ – a new two-grade structure
For the first time, the Soul EV is offered with a two-version model line-up, with ‘Urban’ specification equipped with the 39.2kWh ‘medium range’ battery, and ‘Explore’ specification equipped with a 64kWh ‘long range’ battery.
The generously equipped two-tier range starts with the new ‘Urban’ grade, priced from £32,795. The more affordable ‘medium range’ model is perfect for shorter commutes, is lower in weight and has a WLTP combined driving range of 171 miles. The specification includes:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Dual full LED headlamps
- 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment with Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™, and 7.0-inch OLED colour driver instrument cluster
- All-round electric windows with front auto up-and-down function
- Electrically folding, adjustable and heated door mirrors with LED indicators
- Automatic headlight control
- Reversing camera system
- USB-A sockets in the front cabin, and two USB-C sockets in the rear
- Engine Start/Stop button with Smart Entry System
- Automatic air conditioning
- Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) with city, pedestrian, cyclist recognition and junction turning
- Seven airbags
- ISOFIX Child Seat Top Tethers and Anchor Fixings
- Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS) and Lane Follow Assist (LFA)
- High Beam Assist (HBA)
- Hill-start Assist Control (HAC)
- Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
- Drive Mode Select – three settings
- Cloth upholstery
- 60:40 split-folding rear seats
- Adaptive Smart Cruise Control Function (SCC)
The ‘Explore’ grade, priced from £38,995, replaces the previous ‘Maxx’ model and is the new flagship, high specification, version of the Soul EV. With 201bhp on tap, it’s strong on performance, yet is capable of travelling up to 280 miles (WLTP Combined) on a single charge. It features SUV-inspired design cues and adds the following equipment over the ‘Urban’ grade:
- 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system
- Free seven-year Kia Connect connectivity services
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Rear parking sensors
- Black leather upholstery
- Heated front seats and steering wheel
- Power driver seat adjustment
- Leather steering wheel
- Satin chrome interior door handles
- Privacy glass
- Rain sensing front wipers
- SUV pack
- Roof rails
- Blind-spot Collision Warning (BCW)
- Safe Exit Warning (SEW)
- Rear-Cross Traffic Avoidance Assist (RCCA)
- Highway Driving Assist (HDA)
Attractive paint colour choices
The Soul EV has always been offered with a selection of eye-catching colour options, and these latest models are no different. ‘Urban’ models come with a mono-tone livery as standard, with the option of metallic paint, with ‘Explore’ editions available with optional two-tone metallic paint.
‘Mars Orange’ paintwork comes as standard on both ‘Urban’ and ‘Explore’ models, with four other premium metallic hues on offer for £595 on the ‘Urban’ edition, which includes ‘Inferno Red’, ‘Neptune Blue’ ‘Snow White Pearl’ and ‘Fusion Black’. On ‘Explore’ models, ‘Inferno Red’ and ‘Neptune Blue’ colours feature a ‘Fusion Black’ roof, while ‘Snow White Pearl’ and ‘Fusion Black’ editions have an ‘Inferno Red’ roof. The premium two-tone paint costs £745.
Much more to come
The Soul EV is the smallest of Kia UK’s current three battery electric vehicle line-up, joined by the recently launched all-new Niro EV and the sensational EV6 flagship. In 2023, the production version of the EV9 will expand the trio and will become the largest battery electric vehicle yet in Kia’s exciting plans to launch 14 EV models by 2027 globally. 10 of the vehicles will be built on the new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) architecture, and four derivative EVs will be based on other models.