Comments by "Stephen Hendricks" (@stephenhendricks103) on "" video.
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I live in the Seattle/Tacoma metro area. Around the Puget Sound the broad demographic appeal of the Soul is striking. I see twenty-something Seattle hipsters, young couples with a kid or two, and senior citizens driving them. My local KIA dealer says, "They sell themselves." It's not surprising to see KIA expand the line in the 2020 model year.
Sarah's correct that the GTLine version doesn't really fit in the "hot hatch" category. And despite KIA's marketing effort to classify at least one version of the Soul as a crossover, it's not really that either. What it is, though, is a remarkably balanced, highly versatile vehicle with remarkably wide appeal. Total cargo space is 62.1 cubic ft. That's more than a Mazda CX-5, a vehicle that's more than a foot longer than the Soul (!). And because of its boxy shape full size human beings, even those as tall as Sarah, can sit comfortably in the back seat. As for performance, Motor Trend reports a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds in the GT-Line turbo Soul. That puts it near the top of so-called "sub-compact SUV" mainstream category, otherwise known as hatchbacks on stilts.
Of course, there will be complaints that KIA didn't add AWD to the new generation of the Soul. But in a small, light vehicle with engine weight over the drive wheels a FWD vehicle with a good set of winter tires will accomplish everything an AWD vehicle can over 90% of the time. And KIA says when they asked potential Soul owners if AWD was a priority it ranked far behind fuel efficiency and interior space. In fact, about 25% of current owners thought their Souls already had AWD!
I sometimes wonder what Honda and Nissan must think of the Soul after they discontinued the Element and the Cube, its only true competitors. No doubt they wonder what it is about rodents that make them such great salesman. Or perhaps they should have stayed with their vehicles a while longer.
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