The new Kia Soul may be based on the Rio chassis but it is leagues better in every way. Especially in Sport trim, the Soul feels and looks even more special. The Soul was styled in the US under the lead of ex-Audi and Volkswagen designer Peter Schreyer. It was the fi rst car in the new line of exciting Kia cars from the Audi/VW veteran of 25 years who also worked on the Lamborghini Murciélago and Gallardo before taking the job as Kia Design Director in 2006. The aggressively designed Soul’s principal role is to go head to head against Scion’s xB and Nissan’s Cube in the US market.

The exterior and interior designs are, without question, engaging, even provocative, but the real question was how does it drive? Our test unit thankfully came with the 5-speed manual so I could now put to the test James Deakin’s assessment that the automatic transmission saps what little enthusiasm the modestly powered 144 bhp 2.0 liter produced. I was truly hoping that the little overachiever actually had some spunk to back up its name and distinctive appearance.

The Soul makes up for its diminutive size with height which does make the experience behind the steering wheel very pleasant combined with the moonroof. It can however only really sit four adults comfortably while the trunk is quite compromising with the rear seats in place. Good thing the rear seats do fold down fairly fl at to accommodate sizable luggage like a mini-wagon. Speaking of Mini, the Soul is marginally larger although it lacks the outright driving dynamics of even the base model, the Mini One.

Still, I really like the overall packaging of the Soul. Besides its obvious design elements inside and out, I loved the fun red- themed dashboard, seats, and the 315-watt 8-speaker audio system with the funky mood lighting and Bluetooth which made puttering around San Francisco really entertaining. Steering feel and precision was above par too, nicely weighted and predictable, with crisp turn-in even if it doesn’t have the telescoping adjustment feature. The 7x18” wheels shod with Nexen 225/45HR18 tires and sport suspension made the car not just a looker but very agile and nimble at conservative speeds considering the rear suspension employs a torsion-beam setup. The shifter sadly was a little sloppy and notchy but it did allow us to extract every ounce of juice from the surprisingly willing engine, making this Soul Sport accelerate from naught On the highway, the Soul's upright stance and small footprint made it very vulnerable to high crosswinds, but it was manageable without being too dramatic. The 11” front and 10.3” rear brakes did feel good thankfully; with very little fade when we got a touch abusive. The tinny and hollow exhaust note was very disappointing, making the engine sound more tired than it actually is.

The Soul will not be the fi nancial savior that it could have been neither here nor in the US, as it’s a bit too pricey for its size. Still, it is a very upbeat even practical car for young and active individuals who will also appreciate the 5-year warranty to back it up. I still really like the Soul even if it would have easily accommodated more power under the good looking hood, or at least the healthier version of the 2.0 liter in the 156bhp Forte sedan. I tried desperately to convince the staff to trade our C! Fastfl eet Ford Focus Sport for the top-of-the-line Soul EX but failed mainly due to its compromises in space.