Kia has played it safe for years, churning out thousands upon thousands of sensibly-priced, normal-looking cars at a reasonable price, with highly respectable standard equipment lists and industry best warranties. All in a bid to achieve some sort of acceptance in the UK car market, to be seen as a proper car maker.
Now, though, Kia seems to be going through the automotive equivalent of a mid-life crisis, not content to vent its frustrated extravagance and cutting edge style with concept cars at motor shows that will never see the light of day again.
Kia has shown us it has some soul - and funnily enough, that's the name it came up with for the car. It might be small, having a footprint about the same size as a Ford Fiesta, but it's big on style, and also just quite big. The Soul has a bit of extra height to lend it an air of macho 4x4 aggression and to tap into the current fashion for SUVs.
Whilst the individualistic styling might be unconventional, the rest of the car is utterly conventional. Kia doesn't want to scare any customers off, after all. The dashboard is gently funked up, but the mechanicals are borrowed from other Kias and the Soul moves backwards and forwards and turns through corners much like any other Korean automobile.
The interior is completely practical, offering plenty of space for driver and passengers and a variety of oddment storage bins. Quality of materials is average - the dashboard doesn't feel cheap but built to last. Kia has a good reputation for reliability, and the five-year warranty will offer you peace of mind if the reputation doesn't.
On the move, the Soul is a solid runner, with suspension that has been tuned by Lotus. It's on the firm side but never gets too uncomfortable, and whilst the Kia isn't sporty it does have tidy handling that does what it needs to do. Road noise can be an issue at speed.
Of the engines we'd recommend the diesel - the petrol isn't bad as such, but feels slightly underpowered for the Soul's purposes. The diesel has a useful slug of torque and is more civilised to boot.
The Soul is a strangely enticing mix of extroversion and practicality - and at the this end of the market cars can often just feel dreary. Worth taking a look at.