I had an ioniq for 3 years / 100km. I bought this as a replacement. I ruled out Teslas due to price, the EV6 and Ioniq 5 due to availability and price. I ruled out the IDs based on the cost of getting them well spec'ed. I ruled out the Kona due to its small size. Ruled out the MGs due to slow charging and limited range. Ruled out the Leafs because of no CCS and no battery cooling. So in the end it came down to a shoutout between Soul and Niro. Primary reasons why Soul was better for me over Niro were a.) Better Specifications. b.) Exceptionally good 10 speaker HK system. c.) Heads up Display d.) Electric driver seat and lumbar support (big need for me). In addition the box shape of the car suited my needs better, especially when transporting large items, trips to recycle centre / Ikea, transporting my eBike etc. Overall very happy with my decision. I have it 12 weeks and its travelled 9000km. My wife was not impressed with the purchase but at this point her own car (BMW 530e) sits mostly on the driveway because she will take the soul if its there. From a consumption point of view, I'm averaging, over the last month and 2201km exactly 7.58km/kWh (data is stored in the EVO app) which equates to a range of 485km. This is with mixed driving and includes motorway driving. However it it was 100% motorway, at a constant 120kmph I would expect range to drop by at least 20%-30%.
I agree you. All you said is the same i thing. I have bought an esoul 8 months ago. All is very good except one thing: The road noise is very anoying. I changed tyres but its the same.
I'm in Glasgow, picked up an ex-demonstrator 2020 Soul three months ago. Done 3000 miles since then including a trip to the very North of Scotland, 700 miles in 4 days. Absolutely love the car, no issues for me. Interesting to note the differences between the UK spec and Ireland, no red interior trim in the UK (all black), no front parking sensors and the exterior paintwork is two tone, I have the Blue which comes with a black roof, the other colours in the UK are white and black, both with a red roof (but no red interior trim as mentioned). Very happy with the car, it'll be staying with me for many years.
Bought my Soul EV about a month ago and thus far I think it's a brilliant vehicle. Range is around 250m and with over 200hp and instant torque it's a great drive. The UVO app which I was expecting to be glitchy is completely the opposite and has worked perfectly. The only minus for me was the initial cost...electric cars generally aren't cheap...but for anyone who can get past that hurdle the Soul EV will not disappoint.
Thanks so much for the comment David. Congrats on the purchase and so glad to hear the experience is going well so far. Yes, price parity is hopefully ba huge tipping point.
Have had mine for 4 months. Blue with black roof. Great deal as it qualifies for government grant and is so well equipped. Much better value than top of the range eNiro. Range between 240 and 290 miles. Very comfy, HUD is great too as are the driver assists. Drives well is quiet and lights are excellent. Cannot fault it on any issue except perhaps the boot which can be limiting and the absence of a frunk. Also got great service from dealer Ken Brown in Stevenage.
Thanks for the comment Stephen. That's a lovely colour combination. I've seen a few of them around. The e Soul is a great car and very well spec'd. You can get a 3rd party front tray if you needed a little extra storage option but talk to your dealer Ken about it.
Hi Derek. I got my Kia Soul ev a month ago it’s a 2019 model so I don’t have the app option but other than that I love the car the range is amazing as well as the spec level it has everything you could need. I driven it on motorway and B roads and can’t believe the efficiency I generally only have to charge it twice a week. The only negative point so far is the flat front is a bug magnet but other than that I absolutely love it. Thanks for the review really enjoying your channel 👍
Have a 2020 Kia Soul EV here in Canada, lots of long distance highway trips, great range even with the poor drag CV, average speed of 107KM/hr I was averaging 18.3KWh/100KM!
I have a 2017 eSoul for a year now and absolutely love it, apart from the 27kW battery. I am going to look at upgrading to newer/new model later this year but very difficult to come across. My local kia dealer was under the impression that Kia are discontinuing it here in Ireland. Will see what the cost of importing one from the UK
Hard to get new ones for sure. A good 2nd hand one would be perfect. Same year as the one I reviewed. Not sure it will ever be available new again as the Niro EV is the focus in that price point
Still got the Postman Pat vibes from the shape, but the overall design has grown on me over the years. Front and lights look great and the boxy shape is very practical for extra luggage... just wish they'd brought it to the US (especially given the fact that our Canadian friends got it!)
Biggest issue's for me on a test drive was the seating position, felt high even on the lowest setting and the price of the coolant service. The rear seats not supporting the legs can be an issue for long leg's on a long trip (same with a lot of cars) For the price and battery size it would have been nice if the came with the 11kW AC option. It also had a smaller boot then i expected.
Thanks for the comment Damien. The seating position will be a deal breaker for taller drivers for sure. Can I ask what height are you? An 11kW AC would have been nice alright. Boot is surprisingly small for that boxy shape and yes, the coolant price is an issue I wish I'd covered in the review.
@@NevoEVReviewIreland I’m 183cm, I prefer to feel like I’m sitting in a car rather then on it, it’s something Iv noticed more with newer cars. I have the older Leaf and was expecting a larger boot. Iv been delaying a change in car due to current circumstances.
I do like what Kia/Hyundai are doing going forward. They hit such a home run with their Gen1 BEVs. How did you get on with floor clearance? Other reviews mention a very low ground clearance which is a absolutely deal breaker if the ramps into your estate are big!
I have the eSoul and and live in an estate with speed bumps. Never a problem and I have gone over them a little too fast. With real steep speed bumps, I slow though, went over one too fast and came down with a bang but that waa my fault not the car. I have yet to scrap the undercarriage going over speed bumps.
@@jimwhook Yep, that’s similar to my experience … guessing it’s the short wheelbase that means it doesn’t bottom out on ramps. Derek will likely be familiar with the fairly severe ramps on The Rise, Mount Merrion, and Seafield, Booterstown - have had no trouble with either !
Derekn You might have gone into more detail regarding the steering wheel flaps which not only control.the amount of regenerative braking but also allow hand braking. I quite enjoy this feature. You also neglected to discuss the four driving modes. I mostly us ECO or ECOPlus. In the sport mode the acceleration is fairly impressive. I have my eSoul nearly three months and am most pleased with it. I sas in the market for a VW ID3 but the Kia eSoul gave me s
@@douglasturnbull6989 that's exactly the same as me, was intending to get an ID.3 but range and spec of Soul EV won me over. I also love a boxy car (I remain a fan of the Nissan Cube)!
Thanks Mark. Have you been able to test drive both? Also ID.3 has just started its product lifecycle whereas the Kia e-Soul or Soul EV is nearing it's end. That may make no difference to you but just wanted to put it out there
Remove both “SOUL” badges, and the Eco badge. I’ve seen owners remove theirs and the car looks better for it. Get the big rear n-shaped red light smoked-out to quieten it visually-reminds me too much of the rear of an old Panda. Blend in body-coloured egg on rear window by having it sprayed black, if you get a non-black painted one. The other bits I don't like are the red parts on the door cards inside. I've seen one e Soul on TH-cam so far without these, but all used e Souls I've seen have them coloured red, regardless of exterior paint colour. The car looks better without most of the above, and still retains the quirkiness of its boot-runner profile.
@@NevoEVReviewIreland based on my Canadian Soul EV limited 2021, it don't have rail top and no plastic clad on wheels cages and bottom of the doors , it is a CUV not a SUV!
@@NevoEVReviewIreland I'm from the UK and I really enjoyed your excellent review. Whilst I haven't got a Soul EV (yet), and I don't know if Patrick is referring to controls here. I actually prefer the idea of dials, knobs and other switches to the 'tablet' like touchscreens of 'modern' vehicles, (especially when using them whilst driving)!
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What do you think of this Kia e-Soul or Soul EV? Which name should it have? Leave a comment below...
I had an ioniq for 3 years / 100km. I bought this as a replacement. I ruled out Teslas due to price, the EV6 and Ioniq 5 due to availability and price. I ruled out the IDs based on the cost of getting them well spec'ed. I ruled out the Kona due to its small size. Ruled out the MGs due to slow charging and limited range. Ruled out the Leafs because of no CCS and no battery cooling. So in the end it came down to a shoutout between Soul and Niro. Primary reasons why Soul was better for me over Niro were a.) Better Specifications. b.) Exceptionally good 10 speaker HK system. c.) Heads up Display d.) Electric driver seat and lumbar support (big need for me). In addition the box shape of the car suited my needs better, especially when transporting large items, trips to recycle centre / Ikea, transporting my eBike etc.
Overall very happy with my decision. I have it 12 weeks and its travelled 9000km. My wife was not impressed with the purchase but at this point her own car (BMW 530e) sits mostly on the driveway because she will take the soul if its there.
From a consumption point of view, I'm averaging, over the last month and 2201km exactly 7.58km/kWh (data is stored in the EVO app) which equates to a range of 485km. This is with mixed driving and includes motorway driving. However it it was 100% motorway, at a constant 120kmph I would expect range to drop by at least 20%-30%.
Great comment and glad it's going well for you.
I agree you. All you said is the same i thing. I have bought an esoul 8 months ago. All is very good except one thing: The road noise is very anoying. I changed tyres but its the same.
The best: interior space, sound system, equipment, driving, ...
I'm in Glasgow, picked up an ex-demonstrator 2020 Soul three months ago. Done 3000 miles since then including a trip to the very North of Scotland, 700 miles in 4 days. Absolutely love the car, no issues for me. Interesting to note the differences between the UK spec and Ireland, no red interior trim in the UK (all black), no front parking sensors and the exterior paintwork is two tone, I have the Blue which comes with a black roof, the other colours in the UK are white and black, both with a red roof (but no red interior trim as mentioned). Very happy with the car, it'll be staying with me for many years.
Thanks for the comment Neil. The specification differences are funny aren't they.
Bought my Soul EV about a month ago and thus far I think it's a brilliant vehicle.
Range is around 250m and with over 200hp and instant torque it's a great drive.
The UVO app which I was expecting to be glitchy is completely the opposite and has worked perfectly.
The only minus for me was the initial cost...electric cars generally aren't cheap...but for anyone who can get past that hurdle the Soul EV will not disappoint.
Thanks so much for the comment David. Congrats on the purchase and so glad to hear the experience is going well so far. Yes, price parity is hopefully ba huge tipping point.
Have had mine for 4 months. Blue with black roof. Great deal as it qualifies for government grant and is so well equipped. Much better value than top of the range eNiro. Range between 240 and 290 miles. Very comfy, HUD is great too as are the driver assists. Drives well is quiet and lights are excellent. Cannot fault it on any issue except perhaps the boot which can be limiting and the absence of a frunk. Also got great service from dealer Ken Brown in Stevenage.
Thanks for the comment Stephen. That's a lovely colour combination. I've seen a few of them around. The e Soul is a great car and very well spec'd. You can get a 3rd party front tray if you needed a little extra storage option but talk to your dealer Ken about it.
Hi Derek. I got my Kia Soul ev a month ago it’s a 2019 model so I don’t have the app option but other than that I love the car the range is amazing as well as the spec level it has everything you could need. I driven it on motorway and B roads and can’t believe the efficiency I generally only have to charge it twice a week. The only negative point so far is the flat front is a bug magnet but other than that I absolutely love it. Thanks for the review really enjoying your channel 👍
Thanks so much for the comment Con and glad you're enjoying the channel. It's a great car and congrats on the purchase.
Have a 2020 Kia Soul EV here in Canada, lots of long distance highway trips, great range even with the poor drag CV, average speed of 107KM/hr I was averaging 18.3KWh/100KM!
that was over 2000KM of mountain driving with a number of high altitude passes in BC
Thanks so much for the comment Bert, even with the speed and hill climbs, that's still pretty decent kWh/100km.
I have a 2017 eSoul for a year now and absolutely love it, apart from the 27kW battery. I am going to look at upgrading to newer/new model later this year but very difficult to come across. My local kia dealer was under the impression that Kia are discontinuing it here in Ireland. Will see what the cost of importing one from the UK
Hard to get new ones for sure. A good 2nd hand one would be perfect. Same year as the one I reviewed. Not sure it will ever be available new again as the Niro EV is the focus in that price point
Still got the Postman Pat vibes from the shape, but the overall design has grown on me over the years. Front and lights look great and the boxy shape is very practical for extra luggage... just wish they'd brought it to the US (especially given the fact that our Canadian friends got it!)
Love it "Postman Pat" vibes. It's a grower and surprised Canada got it and Kia USA never went with it. Does Canada have better emissions regs?
can’t fault the car Derek, really love it, my only issue is with Kia and the price of the coolant and having to change it every 45,000km
Thanks for the comment Jimmy. I apologise, I had wanted to cover it and didn't get to it.
Hi Jimmy what coolant and how much dose it cost? Thanks
I really like the v1 in the Smurf colours!
So do I but don't see too many of them here in Ireland
Informative and precise review as per usual Derek 👍👍
Cheers for the comment Alan. Glad you enjoyed it
Biggest issue's for me on a test drive was the seating position, felt high even on the lowest setting and the price of the coolant service.
The rear seats not supporting the legs can be an issue for long leg's on a long trip (same with a lot of cars)
For the price and battery size it would have been nice if the came with the 11kW AC option.
It also had a smaller boot then i expected.
Thanks for the comment Damien. The seating position will be a deal breaker for taller drivers for sure. Can I ask what height are you? An 11kW AC would have been nice alright. Boot is surprisingly small for that boxy shape and yes, the coolant price is an issue I wish I'd covered in the review.
@@NevoEVReviewIreland I’m 183cm, I prefer to feel like I’m sitting in a car rather then on it, it’s something Iv noticed more with newer cars.
I have the older Leaf and was expecting a larger boot.
Iv been delaying a change in car due to current circumstances.
Loads of time and new stock arriving all the time.
I do like what Kia/Hyundai are doing going forward. They hit such a home run with their Gen1 BEVs. How did you get on with floor clearance? Other reviews mention a very low ground clearance which is a absolutely deal breaker if the ramps into your estate are big!
Thanks for the question Stuart. No issue at all and hadn't heard it was one! Will keep an eye on the comments
I have the eSoul and and live in an estate with speed bumps. Never a problem and I have gone over them a little too fast. With real steep speed bumps, I slow though, went over one too fast and came down with a bang but that waa my fault not the car. I have yet to scrap the undercarriage going over speed bumps.
Thanks for the answer answer Jim
@@jimwhook Yep, that’s similar to my experience … guessing it’s the short wheelbase that means it doesn’t bottom out on ramps. Derek will likely be familiar with the fairly severe ramps on The Rise, Mount Merrion, and Seafield, Booterstown - have had no trouble with either !
Good comprehensive review Derek left nothing out. Regards Jim's Shed
Thanks for the comment Jim. Hope all's well
Derekn
You might have gone into more detail regarding the steering wheel flaps which not only control.the amount of regenerative braking but also allow hand braking. I quite enjoy this feature.
You also neglected to discuss the four driving modes. I mostly us ECO or ECOPlus. In the sport mode the acceleration is fairly impressive.
I have my eSoul nearly three months and am most pleased with it. I sas in the market for a VW ID3 but the Kia eSoul gave me s
Several more features for thousands less.
I am an enthusiast.
Thank you Douglas. Apologies. I will try to go into more detail in future reviews, as you can imagine it's a balancing act not to go into too much.
@@douglasturnbull6989 that's exactly the same as me, was intending to get an ID.3 but range and spec of Soul EV won me over. I also love a boxy car (I remain a fan of the Nissan Cube)!
I am trying to choose between the soul and the ID3 at the moment
Thanks Mark. Have you been able to test drive both? Also ID.3 has just started its product lifecycle whereas the Kia e-Soul or Soul EV is nearing it's end. That may make no difference to you but just wanted to put it out there
So, soul ev or the MG zs long range? 360 camera im not too fussed about so i guess its boot space and glass roof.
2 great EVs. Yes, down to boot space and glass roof for me too
Is there air vents to the rear passengers?
Great question Jodie and sorry for not covering it in the review. There is no rear vents for passengers.
@@NevoEVReviewIreland thanks, maybe when they move away from the ICE body.
Remove both “SOUL” badges, and the Eco badge. I’ve seen owners remove theirs and the car looks better for it. Get the big rear n-shaped red light smoked-out to quieten it visually-reminds me too much of the rear of an old Panda. Blend in body-coloured egg on rear window by having it sprayed black, if you get a non-black painted one.
The other bits I don't like are the red parts on the door cards inside. I've seen one e Soul on TH-cam so far without these, but all used e Souls I've seen have them coloured red, regardless of exterior paint colour. The car looks better without most of the above, and still retains the quirkiness of its boot-runner profile.
Some great suggestions there, thanks for the comment!
@@NevoEVReviewIreland Before and after mock-up of how I'd modify the rear:
Before: i.imgur.com/By3QqfI.jpeg ... After: i.imgur.com/VKTgbbO.png
Korean cousin of the mighty Skoda Yeti!
Ha ha, correct!
only rear flasher are not L.E.D.
Thanks for the clarification Denis.
@@NevoEVReviewIreland based on my Canadian Soul EV limited 2021, it don't have rail top and no plastic clad on wheels cages and bottom of the doors , it is a CUV not a SUV!
It's looking a bit dated on the inside
Agree Patrick. The newer generations are ahead and a refresh/new model is needed.
@@NevoEVReviewIreland I'm from the UK and I really enjoyed your excellent review. Whilst I haven't got a Soul EV (yet), and I don't know if Patrick is referring to controls here. I actually prefer the idea of dials, knobs and other switches to the 'tablet' like touchscreens of 'modern' vehicles, (especially when using them whilst driving)!