The fun Kia Soul has been one of Kia’s best-selling models for years. Its combination of youthful styling, its the crossover-like driving position and great value, plus the fun hamster marketing have put it at the top of many buyers’ lists. The last time that I tested the Soul, I loved almost everything about it, but wished it had one thing – more hamsters under the hood. The Soul needed more power and now Kia has answered that with the addition of the new Soul Turbo, yup a turbocharged Soul is finally available. Here are five reasons why the 2017 Kia Soul Turbo should or shouldn’t be on your list:
4A GTI?
It’s no hot hatch. If you were hoping that the Soul Turbo would be as fun as the excellent VW GTI, you’ll be disappointed. Even with over 200 horsepower on tap, the Soul Turbo is definitely not going to match the fun to drive GTI. It’s handling is respectable, yet the softer suspension and light steering aren’t is more of what you’d expect from a taller crossover than a spirited hatchback. There is a Sport driving mode that does tighten up the steering and improve the throttle response, but it’s not a huge difference over the Normal driving mode.
