Competition for hatchback and wagon vehicles is increasing, as everyone from Chevy to VW now offers some variant 3 to 5 door vehicle. With a starting price around $14,500, tech features throughout, and fuel economy averages near 26-27 mpg city, 31+ highway, Soul is ready to beat them all.

There are two engines available for the new Soul, a 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter. Both are matted to a 6-speed automatic transmission, with optional manual available. This is an improvement over the 4-speed auto in 2011′s Soul. The 1.6-liter direct injection produces 138 bhp and 123 lb.-ft. of torque. The revised 2.0-liter makes 164 bhp and 148 lb.-ft. of torque.

Some fun standard options available inside 2012′s Soul are a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, Vehicle Stability Management, Hill-start Assist and sound insulation. A new 4.3-inch UVO voice-activated touchscreen system is also standard, along with a 350-watt 7-speaker Infinity sound system.

As for any notable changes, Soul’s outer shell includes new side mirrors with added turn signals, sculpted hood, revised head/taillights and new bumpers. Overall length has grown slightly by 0.6 inches.

As 2013 and 2014 come closer, the outer shell of Soul will undoubtedly morph. But as long as Kia brings the goods to young drivers year after year, this small but mighty hatchback should continue to attract buyers.

Source / Pics: Road & Track

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.