The Kia Soul EV has been revised for 2023, with the expanded range introducing a new battery variant and newly-competitive price point for those looking to buy or lease a family-friendly new EV.
A small SUV with a distinctive square-edged style, the 2023 Kia Soul EV is now available with a new 39.2kWh ‘medium range’ battery, alongside the existing 64kWh ‘long range’ battery. The company hopes it will make the Kia Soul EV even more competitive against alternatives such as the Volkswagen ID.4, Mazda MX-30, Vauxhall Mokka-e and Hyundai Kona Electric.
New Kia Soul EV price and release date
New Kia Soul EV prices start from £32,795. This buys the new 39.2kWh Kia Soul EV Urban model grade; the alternative 64kWh Kia Soul EV Explore version costs £38,995.
Ordering for the new Kia Soul EV has already opened. It is expected to be released into UK showrooms in Q4 2022 - with those who place their order soon being among the first in line to take delivery.
Kia expects the Soul EV Explore to be the best-seller in the range. The new entry-level Kia Soul Urban opens up the range to customers who are less fussed about a long driving range and are happy to make the up-front savings when buying or leasing the upgraded Kia EV.
New Kia Soul EV: exterior and interior
The Kia Soul EV remains a very distinctive-looking electric car. The profile is intentionally boxy, with angular lines and a tall roofline. The ultra-slim LED headlights give it a modern look at the front, while high-mounted tail lamps surround the rear window in a distinctive way.
Kia has broadened the range of colours for those buying or leasing a new Soul EV to choose from. Distinctive Mars Orange paint is standard, with four other premium colours – Inferno Red, Neptune Blue, Snow White Pearl and Fusion Black – optionally available for £595 on Urban models.
On the Kia Soul EV Explore, two-tone metallic choices are available, for £745. Inferno Red and Neptune Blue can be combined with a Fusion Black roof; Snow White Pearl and Fusion Black have an Inferno Red roof.
17-inch alloy wheels are standard on both Kia Soul EV grades, as are dual full LED headlamps, while the Kia Soul Explore features an SUV styling pack (including roof rails, silver skid plates and lower body cladding) and rear privacy glass.
Inside, the Kia Soul EV has an expressive look. There are distinctive air vents each side of the dashboard, eye-catching trims surrounding them, plus neat ambient lighting for the door panels and dashboard at night.
The touchscreen is mounted high up on the dashboard; an 8.0-inch screen features on the Kia Soul EV Urban, with Explore models gaining a 10.25-inch widescreen display with built-in sat nav. Both models have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard, plus a 7.0-inch OLED colour driver’s instrument cluster.
The Kia Soul EV’s generous standard specification includes climate control, a reversing camera, all-round electric windows, electric folding door mirrors and adaptive smart cruise control. Move up to Explore grade and the spec includes heated leather seats, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dim rear-view mirror and rear parking sensors.
Passenger space inside the Kia Soul EV is very impressive. There’s loads of headroom, and rear legroom is generous. It has an airy, open feel and passengers have a good view out. The 315-litre boot is small by the standards of the sector, although it expands to a mammoth 1,339 litres with the seats folded.
New Kia Soul EV: engines and gearboxes
The Kia Soul EV now comes with a choice of two battery sizes. The 39.2kWh battery in the Kia Soul EV Urban has an official combined driving range of 171 miles. It is paired with a 134PS electric motor and a single-speed gearbox. 0-62mph takes 9.9 seconds and it has a top speed of 97mph.
The Kia Solu EV Explore has a 64kWh battery, giving a combined driving range of 280 miles. It also has a more powerful 201PS electric motor, delivering 0-62mph acceleration in 7.9 seconds, and a 104mph top speed. It has a variable regenerative braking system that can be altered via steering wheel paddle shifters; make full use of them and Kia says an inner-city driving range of over 400 miles is possible.
The Kia Soul EV is able to use 80kW rapid chargers. This allows it to charge from 0-80% in 54 minutes. Even the larger battery on the Explore will fully charge in less than 10 hours using a 7.2kW wall box.
The charge point is mounted in the front bumper. It means you can park nose-in to public charging points and easily plug the Kia Soul EV in without having to squeeze up against another car parked next to you.
Find a used Kia Soul EV for sale
The Kia Soul EV has been on sale in its current guise since 2020. This means there’s a decent number of used models on sale at heycar, with prices starting from around £30,000. We spotted a great 2020 Kia Soul EV First Edition, with 17,000 miles on the clock, which looked great value at £30,495.
There was also a pure electric version of the previous Kia Soul. Prices for these now start from under £20,000; they’re rare on the used market, but worth looking out for as they are excellent value for money.
Looking for more new car news?
Our New Cars Guide has everything you need to know about what's coming up in 2023 and beyond, including the new-generation BMW iX1, Ford Ranger and Honda CR-V.
The Kia Soul EV is the smallest of Kia’s three-model EV line-up. Above it come the new Kia Niro EV, and the Kia EV6 range-topper.
Like all new Kia, the Soul EV has an exceptional seven-year new car warranty; it remains valid throughout the period, so long as the mileage is below 100,000.
As awareness of EVs grows, so too are Kia Soul EV registrations. Kia says they were up nearly 30% in 2021 compared to the previous year – and are expected to grow further now the range has been broadened.
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