A combination of the tires and a very aggressive traction control unit made pulling out into traffic very interesting on more than one occasion. Looking at reviews of this tire on I found similar experiences from those living in the snow belt. This kids is why an e-brake with a real handle is SO much better than current electronic versions. On more than on occasion, I had to grab the e-brake to make a corner at under five miles an hour because the front end just plowed straight on. In any kind of snowy or icy conditions, you found out just how aggressive the ABS was in the Soul because the brakes would almost immediately lock up with anything more than the lightest touch of the pedal. Perhaps because we were driving this in early February in Michigan, and the tires are classified as “Ultra High-Performance All-Season tires was the crux for the issue. Standard tires are Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2’s.

The first thing that I noticed was the tires. The problem I’d come to find out is that that affordable price comes at, well, a price. In this day and age (pre-COVID-19) just under twenty-three grand is a good price. All totaled the sticker price with a delivery charge of $995 was $22,615. The only option was carpeted floor mats at $130. 18″ alloy wheels come with the package along with a leather-covered steering wheel and shift knob. Included as standard was a blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert and lane change assist. It comes with a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, with what Kia calls an “intelligently variable transmission”. This X-Line trim of the Soul is a mid-level trim package with visual cues to make it look more rugged. So, to quote Jerry Seinfeld, “what’s the deal with that?” After spending a week with this X-Line version of the Soul, I think I have the answer. Smaller “B” segment crossovers have been the latest push by manufactures, Soul has already been there. In a world where everything is a crossover, the Soul had the covered. One other factor that interested me with the new Soul was its falling sales figures. So when the opportunity to drive this latest generation became available I was excited. Nicely sized, good interior room with the only issue being the lack of cargo room with the back seat up.

Having driven all the previous generations of the Kia Soul over the years they have been one of my favorite affordable vehicles.

2020 kia soul xline engine specs