20052021

Thursday, May 20, 2021 56 Motoring

Newbury Weekly News

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deal of flexibility, but the height-adjustable boot floor does mean that you get a flat surface when they’re folded away and it creates a separate storage area below. That said, the overall capacity of the boot is a disappointing 315 litres. There’s just the one model and it’s fitted with a 64kWh battery that, officially, will carry you 280 miles between charges. There’s 201bhp on tap and it’s put to good use; the Soul will sprint to 62mph in just 7.6 seconds. The ride is comfortable and the Soul’s body movements are well controlled over undulating B roads, while the suspension does a good job of isolating occupants from the worst that our roads have to offer. Regenerative braking systems in EVs can often be a tad temperamental as they harvest energy while the car slows, making it difficult to slow the car smoothly, but the Soul’s are as progressive as those that you’ll find on any car. You can adjust the amount of harvesting that goes on using paddles behind the steering wheel and, set to maximum, it’s possible to stop the car effectively just by lifting your foot off the accelerator. The system can automatically increase the regenerative effort if it detects traffic slowing ahead. If you’re thinking of buying an EV the Soul makes a strong case for itself. It is slightly handicapped by a small boot, rear seats that could be more flexible and slightly fidgety ride, but it is very well equipped, is comfortable whichever seat you’re occupying and boasts a decent range.

Paul Acres shares his thoughts on the latest version of the car that (kind of) started it all

surprised to learn that Kia, with the Soul, was the first company to offer buyers a standard car with the option of choosing battery power instead of petrol or diesel. That was back in 2014 and, at that time, the Soul EV had a range of just 100 miles. Things have moved on since then and here we have the third generation model. The seats are comfortable and supportive and you don’t slide around side to side despite the apparent lack of bolstering. It’s electrically adjustable, including height and lumbar, as standard. Visibility out of the front is excellent, although the shallow rear screen impairs the view out of the back a little. Fortunately rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera both make it into the standard equipment list. There’s a seven-inch LCD display where you would normally find the analogue dials, but they don’t offer any additional functionality. The dashboard is tidy and logically laid out, with all the main controls and switches within easy reach. In general the quality of the interior is very good. A head-up display is included as standard, projecting sat- nav instructions, your speed and other useful information on to the windscreen. The infotainment system is a doddle to use. The centrepiece is a high- resolution 10.3in touchscreen that’s mounted reasonably high up on the dash and boasts excellent, accurate, graphics. It responds quickly to inputs

and the menus are intuitively designed. There’s an impressive amount of kit onboard. Sat-nav, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are all standard and you’ll also benefit from online connectivity for the latest travel information. Audio is pumped out through a Harmon Kardon 10-speaker stereo with a subwoofer and there’s also a wireless phone charging pad. There’s loads of space for even the tallest of people. There’s a decent amount of room in the back too. There’s lots of places to store your odds and ends including a decent-sized glove box, a large tray for your mobile in the centre console and cup holders. It’s quiet in the cabin. Very, very quiet. There’s a little wind and road noise at cruising speeds, but around urban areas the occasional thud from the suspension is about all you’ll ever hear. The rear seats are split 40/60 which doesn’t offer a great

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Kia Soul EV

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Price (after PiCG) : £34,545 Motor : 63kWh Transmission : Single-speed auto

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Max power : 201bhp Max torque: 395Nm Max speed : 105mph

0-62mph : 7.6 sec Range : 280 miles AC charge time (230v): 31 hours (0-100%) DC charge time (50kW) : 75 minutes (0-80%)