Kia Looks Into its Soul as Savior
Kia’s small car, the Soul, may bring the auto maker the respect and sales it has been waiting for. The Soul is small, sporty, inexpensive, and the marketing campaign (featuring adorable hamsters rocking out in their fire-engine red 2010 Kia Soul) is targeting younger drivers and those looking for their first new car in this depressed economy.
Prices begin at $13,300 for the Soul base model with a 122-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cyl – no automatic transmission is offered with the base engine. The other three Soul trim levels — Plus, Exclaim and Sport — come with a 142-horsepower, 2.0-liter four cyl and a choice of the five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. At its highest price ($18,900) you are still under $20K for the total Sports version with all available options.
Kia has been trying to make a name for itself since the early 2000’s, when cheaper made vehicles were their bread and butter. Since then, with sportier versions of the Rio5 and Spectra5 have garnered positive attention from both reviewers and fans. It looks like with Soul Kia may finally grab some respect from car buyers.
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