The new Kia Soul begs one big question: Is this thing cool?
The Soul is a five-door hatch about a half-foot shorter than a Scion xB, one of the youth-market vehicles that likely inspired Kia to enter this niche (the Honda Element is another; ditto the Nissan Cube, the all-new version of which will arrive here next spring as a 2009 model). The Soul began life as a very cool concept car in 2006, but the powerful, big-haunch look and a lot of the trick, appealing aspects have been finessed out in the obligatory production compromise.
Looks are the whole ballgame here, because beneath the radically angled window line and the buff fender bulges and the seat fabric that glows in the dark with the word “soul” is basically a good-sized but unspectacular economy box.
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Enhancing occupant and pedestrian safety
Fitted as standard in most European countries, new safety features will
include ESC with a new Roll-over Sensor that deploys the side airbags, curtain
airbags and seatbelt pretensioners when requi ...
Door locks
Operating door locks from outside
the vehicle
• Turn the key toward the rear of the
vehicle to unlock and toward the front
of the vehicle to lock.
• If you lock the door with a key, all veh ...
Tailgate
Opening the tailgate
• The tailgate is locked or unlocked
when all doors are locked or unlocked
with the key, transmitter or central door
lock switch.
• If unlocked, the tailgate can be ope ...