Soulmate: an 'urban crossover vehicle'

My nine-year-old ogled it like he would a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. "What's this, a concept car?!'' he gasped. The 16-year-old was less enamoured, though it was obviously striking enough for him to put away his headset and pay some attention to it. The reason: though 6'3'', he was quite comfortable in the rear.

This set the tone for the rest of the reactions to the new car Kia has unleashed on us. Some people found it eye-catching, others, well, interesting, but they all turned to look. I found people in more powerful cars slowing down to keep pace with the Soul and take in the details.

Thus, with one stroke Kia has grabbed the attention of the car-loving public, including those who had not been taking models coming out of this company seriously.

So, what is the Soul? Kia calls it a "crossover utility vehicle''. That's a misnomer: the Soul is no CUV. For one, it doesn't have an all-wheel drive system. It's basically a five-door hatchback with front-wheel drive, a high roofline and a long-ish wheelbase.

The Soul made its first appearance in 2006 as a concept, catching the eye with its pillarless double-doors. The doors didn't make it into production, but the rest of the production model looks very much like the concept.

Look at the odd-looking black bezel surrounds that enhance the large, slightly bug-eyed front headlamps and signal lights. Weird, but nice weird. The ‘camouflaged' black A-pillars, Kia feels, create the feeling of integrated, wraparound glass across the windows and windshield.

The high-mounted trapezoid-shaped vertical combination lamps in the rear with chrome and black outline certainly can't be ignored. Where looks are concerned, the Soul has its act together.

 Inside story

Kia's interiors have certainly been improving of late, and the Soul is no exception. There is a vast expanse of black plastic, but it doesn't make you feel you are in a plastic factory like some modern cars do. The quality of the plastics is one reason. The colours used are the other. The bright two-tone red-black dashboard is an effective way to cheer up what would otherwise be an expanse of hard black plastic.

The dashboard materials appear soft to the touch, though they aren't. But the hard surfaces feel durable and appear like they will retain their finish. Little touches such as the rubber-ringed climate control knobs show that Kia thinks from the user's point of view.

The cabin layout is ergonomic. The controls are placed within easy reach of the driver. The analogue gauges are easy to read, the climate control system is a simple three-knob set-up, and the audio system child's play. It's all quite basic; no hi-tech gadgets that require to be deciphered.

The sporty cylinder gauge cluster in back-lit white is practical. It takeson a red-orange LCD hue at night (Kia feels it makes for better night visibility).

My child certainly loved all the pyrotechnics. Especially the lit-up door speakers, which are said to respond to the mood or the sounds they're playing. (Club music will create a more bright and dynamic display than soul music for example, this, according to the brochure, creates the right mood for the music) Frankly, I felt like I was back in the early '80s when the disco craze was at its peak!

The standard audio system has iPod and MP3 compatibility, a USB port and auxiliary jack for simple connection of compatible devices. The leather-wrapped steering wheel has audio, cruise control and Bluetooth phone controls.

Storage spaces are adequate, with each door getting a shallow bin and bottle slot. The split-level glove box is surprisingly deep. It has two tiers so you can store items separately, and is spacious enough to hold up to 14 CDs. A handy storage area is located above the audio system in the central fascia, with a push-open lid for storing items you need to keep safe or close at hand.

Such little touches abound in the Soul. The boot area even has deep storage trays for storing items out of sight.

The rear load floor is at an easy height for loading, though space in the boot, behind the rear seats, is limited to a narrow vertical 12 cubic feet. The rear seats fold forward in a 60/40 split to create more cargo area.

Thanks to the higher seating position overall, visibility is excellent. Rear visibility is decent even through the smallish rear glass, and the large side mirrors also aid in increasing visibility.

The Soul's ride height will appeal to many women who choose SUVs for precisely that reason.

A just-right elevated position gives you a feeling of security in traffic without making you feel as if you are towering over everybody, blocking the vision of drivers of smaller vehicles behind.

 Driving

At first go, the Soul's 1.6-litre engine, which makes 122hp, appears adequate. The steering is agile and very precise. Considering it's a boxy hatch, the Soul can be hustled along at a nippy pace initially.

The ride is quite stable too, but it may not be the best for zipping along highways. The car is best when cruising along at a steady pace and that, we discovered, is exactly what the Soul, in its present avatar, is designed to do.

It is also available with a 2-litre engine, which may be more responsive and offer a better drive. But till that arrives in the UAE, don't imagine yourself as a boy racer in the Soul.

Starting at Dh53,000 and going up to Dh63,000 for the fully loaded version, the Soul is aimed at the younger set with a host of colourful customising options. But we feel it will appeal equally to the young-at-heart, budget-conscious crowd too. Now, if they had included the 2-litre version, just maybe…