Kia Soul EV (2014-2019) Review and Prices

The Kia Soul EV is a small electric city car with space for five adults. Unlike the VW e-Golf and Nissan Leaf, the Kia looks like a mini SUV rather than a conventional hatchback so you won’t lose it next time you visit the public charging point.

At a glance, the Kia Soul EV looks almost identical to the standard Soul. It comes with an equally boxy body, a similar contrasting roof and chunky front and rear bumpers with black plastic inserts.

Peek a little closer and you’ll spot a charging flap where the standard Soul’s front grille lives and a few very discrete Electric badges. Inside, you’ll find all the same features as top-spec Soul models, including heated seats and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone mirroring. This unit isn’t quite as easy to use as the slick touchscreen you get in a VW e-Golf, but it’s sharp and bright enough to read with just a quick glance when you’re driving.

You get height-adjustable front seats as standard in the Kia Soul EV too, to help you get a good view out through its large square windows. There’s ample space for tall people in the front and even enough room in the back for three adults to sit side-by-side without feeling too cramped.

The Kia Soul EV is a small electric car with funkier styling than your average battery-powered hatchback. It’s pretty roomy inside but alternatives can carry more luggage.

Unfortunately, while the Kia Soul EV’s back seats are fairly spacious, you can’t really say the same about its boot. There’s space for a baby buggy or a couple of smaller suitcases, but It’s much tighter than the loadbays in the VW e-Golf and Nissan Leaf – not to mention the standard Kia Soul – thanks to its batteries.

It’s a similar story when you take a look at the Kia Soul EV’s electric range. Kia claims it’ll do 132 miles between charges – more than enough for the average commute, but slightly less than the e-Golf’s official 144-mile range and way behind the 226-mile-capable Nissan Leaf.

Just like these cars, though, the Kia Soul EV can cruise along almost silently and has enough power to sprint down motorway slip roads and away from traffic lights. The steering’s nice and light and the Soul EV’s a doddle to see out of so you’ll have no trouble manoeuvring into tight parking spaces.

It irons out bumps reasonably well around town too and, despite the extra weight of its heavy batteries, it doesn’t lean a great deal in tight corners so passengers won’t have any reason to feel car sick.

You can’t get the Kia Soul EV with as much high-tech safety kit or as many fancy driver assistance systems as the Nissan Leaf, but it’s still worth considering if you’re looking for a cheap-to-run electric city car with funky SUV styling. Check out our Kia Soul EV deals to see how much you can save on one.