Sold on the Soul

MANILA, Philippines - Felix Mabilog and Palermo Soriano Jr. talk about Kia’s latest head turner, the Soul.

California is the land of cool – epitomized by places like glitzy Hollywood and techie Silicon Valley. It’s the place where fashion converges with the cutting-edge, where no vision to too unreachable and no dream unrealizable. It’s the birthplace of everything Apple – products that continuously push the boundaries of both design and sophistication. And now, add to that, California is the birthplace of the new Kia Soul.

Irvine, California is a long way from Seoul, South Korea, the location of Kia’s global headquarters. But when the company wanted to design something radically different, they had to go to the extremes, getting a different sort of inspiration in the process. The Soul is a product of Mike Torpey, the guy responsible for other jaw-dropping concept cars such as the Cadillac Sixteen and Vizon. Whiffing up a bit of California cool, he created something the world hasn’t seen before: an urban crossover vehicle.

Since its August 28 launch, Columbian Autocar Corporation, Kia’s Philippine distributor has been basking in the Soul’s limelight. And who could blame them? After all, this is one of the most exciting cars to have launched in the local market. Sitting down with Columbian Autocar Corporation’s President Mr. Felix Mabilog and Senior Manager for Marketing Services, Mr. Palermo Soriano, Jr. we delved into what makes the Soul such an exciting car and how it can change the brand perception of Kia.

An Exciting Look That’s Incomparable  to Others

According to Mr. Mabilog, the Kia Soul’s youthful exuberance is what’s causing the stir in the local automotive scene. It looks like nothing on the road. The Soul starts with an unusual concept: a high roofline and a long wheelbase. Then, whereas other car makers would be adept in making ordinary looking cars, the Soul takes an imaginary approach with its angled window lines, rounded nose and flared wheel arches. On the open road, it doesn’t look out of place cruising the downtown city streets of Beverley Hills. Mr. Soriano added that anywhere the Soul goes a crowd is sure to gather. Such is its star power.

The imaginative exterior is just the tip of the iceberg for the Soul. Inside is where it really shows its power to surprise. The award-winning interior features an uncluttered dashboard with a three-tier instrument cluster providing excellent readability of the gauges. Meanwhile, the floating center console makes for enticing access to the Soul’s high-fidelity sound system. The unique red-and-black color scheme is definitely sporty, complimented by body hugging bucket seats that are as comfortable as they are handsome.

Spacious and State of the Art

Don’t be fooled by the Soul’s compact exterior dimensions. Despite its 4,105-mm overall length, the wheelbase is just 80 mm shy of the much larger Sportage SUV. Credit that to the Soul’s clever packaging and design that maximizes its small footprint. Five adults can be accommodated simply and effortlessly thanks to its tall doors and high seating position. Once inside, everyone will revel in the comfort of the Soul’s roomy cabin. Where spaciousness is concerned, the Soul actually bests the Sportage in terms of rear headroom (1005 mm vs. 1000 mm) as well as rear legroom (990 mm vs 955 mm).

While some are satisfied with having a personal lounge on wheels, the Soul is equally efficient in handling cargo and knick-knacks thanks to its 14 different storage zones. Its cargo bay is flat and wide (a full 340 liters), thanks to the unique placement of the rear anti-roll bar inside the torsion beam. If even more cargo space is needed, the rear seats can be folded and even removed in a 60:40 split revealing a 570-liter cargo space.

An Energetic Engine and an Advanced Platform

Though the author is yet to drive the new Kia Soul, at least on paper it looks to be one mighty machine. The Soul was made as a response to the more condescending car buyer of today, so both Mr. Soriano and Mr. Mabilog reiterated that this car is not just for show. It’s powered by a peppy 2.0-liter engine good for 144 horsepower. With Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT), it can deliver up to 10.20 km/L on its optional four-speed automatic transmission.

Underpinning the Soul is an all-new platform made of 70 percent high-tensile steel, enhancing the car’s structural strength which in turn translates into better handling, ride quality and refinement. In addition, the Soul’s engine and transmission is mounted on a sub frame with MacPherson Struts at the front and a transverse torsion beam axle at the back. The Soul’s shock absorbers are filled with nitrogen gas, a result of being fine tuned on European roads. Complimenting the handling equation is the Soul’s standard electric power steering system (makes for lighter steering effort too) as well as the availability of 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 225/45 rubber.

Safety Doesn’t Take a Back Seat

Though some Filipino buyers still don’t take safety as their top priority in a new car purchase, Mr. Soriano is quick to point out that the Soul is one of the safest cars out there with its perfect Euro NCAP 5-star crash safety rating. Recently, it was judged as the “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the US.

The secret is the Soul’s ring-shaped B-pillar bracing as well as dual floor cross members and stronger gussets in the roof. Aside from its rigid body, the Soul is loaded with active safety measures such as four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and EBD, ESP or Electronic Stability Program and rear parking sensors. On the passive front, the Soul has dual SRS airbags.

Aside from its rigid body, the Soul is loaded with active safety measures such as four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and EBD, electronic stability control and rear parking sensors. On the passive front, the Soul relies on dual SRS airbags.

Kia’s Main Attraction

Because of the Soul’s cool design and excellent features, traffic in Kia’s 57 showrooms nationwide has been brisk of late, according to Mr. Mabilog. Though everyone knows about Kia’s newfound reputation for reliability and durability (after all, each car is backed up by a 5-year/160,000-kilometer warranty), the Soul is opening up the Kia brand to new customers, who are looking for something different and fresh.

Before the introduction of the Soul, Mr. Mabilog said that Columbian Autocar Corporation had been investing heavily in test drive units for its dealership network. Later on, he revealed that for every five test drives, three are converted to sales.

Now with the arrival of the Soul, Kia’s reputation has nowhere to go but up. The Soul marks a milestone in Kia’s style and image that’s a precedent of things to come. The Soul kick starts major changes in brand perception and will no doubt have a “halo” effect on sales. For now, it is mission accomplished then for Kia. But if you’re still a doubter, go to your nearest Kia dealership now and book a test drive with the Kia Soul.