2022 Kia Soul

2022 Soul carries over the third-generation (SK3) powertrains with no change; base 2.0L Nu MPI I4 is the volume trim's engine, paired exclusively with the IVT (CVT).

Naturally-aspirated 2.0L Nu engine is unchanged for 2022; figure matches manufacturer spec for the LX/S/X-Line/EX volume trims.

No single manufacturer-stated 0-60 figure; independent instrumented tests of the 2.0L NA Soul cluster between 8.0s and 8.8s (Edmunds track test: 8.8s), so 8.6s is used as a representative midpoint.

The 2.0L NA engine delivers adequate but unexciting power for city driving; reviewers note acceleration is "a little lacking" though the car feels spry around town with no coarse or laggy behavior since there's no turbo to manage.

The IVT (CVT) on the volume trim is tuned to mimic a conventional automatic and keeps the engine in its power band effectively, without the drone common to lesser CVTs; the GT-Line Turbo's 7-speed DCT shifts crisply but is less relevant to the volume configuration.

AWD is not offered on any 2022 Soul trim (LX, S, X-Line, EX, GT-Line, GT-Line Turbo) — the Soul is front-wheel drive only across the entire range, consistent with its third-generation architecture.

Two distinct gas powertrains are offered — a 2.0L NA engine on volume trims and a 1.6L turbo with 7-speed DCT on GT-Line Turbo — but there is no hybrid, PHEV, or EV option; the second-generation Soul EV was never brought to the US market after 2020, so 2022 US buyers get gas-only choices.

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the volume 2.0L Nu MPI/IVT configuration, which spans four of the six 2022 trims.

EPA city figure for the volume 2.0L configuration.

EPA highway figure for the volume 2.0L configuration.

No single EPA range figure is published; estimated from the EPA combined MPG rating and the published fuel tank capacity for the 2.0L Soul.

EPA estimated annual fuel cost at 15,000 mi/yr, standard 87-octane regular gasoline assumptions, for the volume 2.0L configuration.

Runs on regular 87-octane unleaded across the entire 2022 lineup, including the turbo engine; no premium requirement and no charging logistics to manage.

NHTSA rates the 2022 Soul 4 stars overall — 5 stars side (5/5 driver and passenger) and 4 stars frontal (5 driver / 4 passenger), with a 3-star side pole result and 4-star rollover at 14.7% tip risk. Identical figures to the unchanged 2023 carryover generation.

Every 2022 Soul crashworthiness test comes back Good — small overlap front (both sides), moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints/seats — and IIHS names the 2022 Soul a Top Safety Pick, though the award is conditional on the optional front crash prevention system and the Turbo trim's LED projector headlights; the halogen-headlight trims that make up most of the range don't independently qualify.

The volume S trim gets Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Following Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Blind-Spot Collision Warning, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist as standard — a broad suite for a $21.6k subcompact — but pedestrian detection on the FCA and any form of adaptive cruise are withheld entirely from S/X-Line/GT-Line/EX and reserved for the sole Turbo trim, and the base LX needs the optional Technology Package for all of the above.

IIHS rates the front crash prevention system Superior in both the vehicle-to-vehicle and daytime-pedestrian evaluations, but that rating covers the optional pedestrian-detection FCA-Ped hardware that is exclusive to the range-topping Turbo trim; the volume S trim's plain Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist lacks pedestrian detection and has no separate published rating, and no nighttime-pedestrian result exists for either configuration.

Blind Spot Collision Warning, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist are all standard from the volume S trim up, with only the base LX needing the optional Technology Package; there's no safe-exit warning or blind-view monitor camera anywhere in the 2022 lineup.

Lane Keeping Assist plus Lane Following Assist — genuine lane centering rather than a departure nudge — is standard from the S trim up, matching what the 2023 facelift later made standard fleet-wide; on the 2022 car it's still gated behind the base LX's optional Technology Package, and the underlying tune is Kia's basic system, competent on clear highway lines but prone to hunting on faded ones.

Smart Cruise Control (Kia's adaptive cruise) is exclusive to the $27,890 Turbo trim in 2022 — even the X-Line, GT-Line and EX trims that get the full ADAS suite otherwise are stuck with plain fixed-speed cruise control, so the overwhelming majority of 2022 Souls sold cannot be equipped with adaptive cruise at any price.

No hands-free highway driving system is offered on the 2022 Soul at any trim; the most capable configuration (Turbo) tops out at hands-on Smart Cruise Control with no lane-centering-plus-cruise combination marketed as Highway Drive Assist.

Every 2022 Soul trim except the range-topping Turbo uses halogen reflector headlights that IIHS rates Poor; only the Turbo's LED projector units rate Good. Since the representative S trim carries the halogen units, the volume car's low-beam performance is a genuine weak point despite standard High Beam Assist.

The boxy one-box body carries over unchanged for 2022 — a tall upright greenhouse, deep side glass, a low beltline and a near-vertical tailgate give sightlines few rivals match, and the elevated seating position clears the view forward; there's no surround-view camera on any trim, but with sightlines this open it's barely missed.

IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Acceptable: two outboard rear positions with complete hardware, anchors seated a bit deep in the seat bight but requiring modest force to attach — and the Soul's tall roof and wide rear door openings make maneuvering a car seat into place easier than the exterior footprint suggests.

Third-generation Soul (2019–2022, pre-facelift) is a 5-passenger subcompact hatchback across all trims (LX, S, X-Line, EX, GT-Line); no 4-seat or 6-seat configuration offered.

Consistent across all 2022 trims per Kia's own spec table; the Soul's tall, boxy roofline maximizes front headroom relative to typical hatchbacks.

Front legroom is unremarkable for the segment — the Soul's compact 165.2 in overall length limits front-seat travel despite its tall cabin.

Rear headroom exceeds the top of the hatchback normalization band — the Soul's boxy, upright greenhouse is a class-leading trait carried unchanged into the 2022 model year.

Above-average rear legroom for a subcompact hatchback, reflecting the Soul's tall-wagon packaging that prioritizes upright seating over a low, cab-forward stance.

24.2 cu ft behind the rear seat is well above the hatchback normalization band's top — the Soul's deep, boxy cargo well is a signature practicality advantage unchanged for 2022, though reviewers note a large load-floor hump when the seats are folded.

Solid, competitive everyday storage — a deep cargo well and a good number of front-cabin bins/cubbies — but reviewers flag a large hump at the base of the folded rear seats that eats into flat-load utility, and there's no standout innovation like a giga-console or onboard power.

Front seats are accommodating with height adjustment and a generous steering-wheel adjustment range, earning good comfort marks; no major criticism of rear seats but no standout long-haul praise either, so this sits solidly mid-pack rather than segment-leading.

Reviewers split: Consumer Reports calls the ride stiff and jittery over broken pavement, while Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book describe it as firm but controlled and more sophisticated than the price point suggests. Unchanged suspension tune for the 2022 carryover year, so composed-most-of-the-time with some firmness is the fair middle read.

Road noise is modest, but the Soul's upright, boxy windshield and body generate noticeable wind noise at highway speed, and the engine gets vocal under harder throttle — average for the segment with some clear intrusion rather than class-leading quiet.

For 2022 Kia made dual-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, wireless smartphone charging and dual USB chargers standard on S, X-Line and GT-Line (base LX keeps single-zone manual climate); heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are available higher up the range (GT-Line), with heated rear/ventilated front seats reserved for GT-Line Limited. Solid mid-trim-and-up equipment rather than broad standard availability.

2022 Soul LX is the entry trim; base MSRP plus destination sits well under the hatchback normalization floor, making it one of the cheapest vehicles on sale.

S is the volume trim for the 2022 Soul lineup (adds alloy wheels, larger touchscreen, and driver-assist features over LX) and still prices well under segment norms.

Kia's 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty covers most repairs for the entire window this item measures, keeping out-of-pocket cost low; the Soul also has an above-average reliability record.

The Soul holds value slightly below the subcompact-car class average but still near the top of the hatchback normalization band.

Kia's basic limited warranty (5yr/60k) is at the top of the mainstream-brand range and is unchanged for 2022.

Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty for the original owner is best-in-class and unchanged for 2022; it steps down to 5yr/60k for subsequent owners.

Kia bundles 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance with the basic warranty and its Kia Care program covered a handful of early scheduled visits, but there is no multi-year included-maintenance plan comparable to luxury brands.

$22,885 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (62.5% retained, or about $14,303) leaves about $8,582 in depreciation. Add the projected $2,300 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $10,882 in total.

The 2022 Soul is a carry-over year inside the third generation (no facelift until 2023, 6-speed manual dropped for 2022 leaving IVT/CVT and the 7-speed DCT Turbo) and it inherited the strong predicted-reliability standing that generation had built: J.D. Power/U.S. News list a Quality & Reliability score of 87/100, inside the 81-90 'Great' band, and Consumer Reports rates it about average against the full new-car field, which is itself a solid outcome for a low-price subcompact. It sits a notch above the 2023 car's eventual 76 because, at the time this model year was current, none of the recall activity that would later land on the 2021-2023 Nu-engine piston rings and the 2023-only ISG/cluster campaigns had yet surfaced.

2022 is Kia's high-water mark as a brand: J.D. Power's 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study ranked Kia #1 among all 31 automotive brands industry-wide (not just mass-market) at 145 PP100, ahead of Buick and Hyundai, and Kia placed 4th overall (tied with Genesis) at 156 PP100 in the 2022 Initial Quality Study. That is as strong as the brand's dependability data ever reads, clearing the 80+ 'consistently top-5' band for the one year it was literally #1 overall — held right at the threshold rather than higher because the VDS result reflects 2019 model-year vehicles after three years, a lagging indicator, and the brand's newer-generation engines (including the Soul's Nu 2.0) were still accumulating the durability record that would surface recalls a few years later.

The 2022 model year's own recall record is much lighter than 2023's four campaigns — RepairPal and NHTSA show one safety recall naming the 2022 Soul: the 2025 piston-oil-ring campaign (SC336) covering 2021-2023 Soul/Seltos with the 2.0L Nu MPI engine, which can cause oil consumption, stalling or fire. The severity of that single campaign (engine damage/fire risk, ~137,256 vehicles across three model years, remedy up to a full engine replacement) is what keeps the score out of the 'few, minor recalls' top band even though the count is low — it is the same underlying defect that also weighs down the 2023 car's score, just without the additional ISG oil-pump, airbag-inflator and instrument-cluster campaigns that are specific to 2023 production.

The 2022 Soul's volume configuration is the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter Nu MPI four paired with a CVT-type Intelligent Variable Transmission — the 6-speed manual was discontinued for 2022, leaving IVT standard on five of six trims and a 7-speed dry dual-clutch reserved for the 1.6-liter turbo Soul Turbo. The Nu MPI is a high-volume, unstressed, port-injected engine shared with the Forte and Seltos with no turbo or high-voltage system to add failure modes, which argues for a mid-to-upper score, but the 2022 model year sits squarely inside the population later recalled for the Nu engine's signature durability defect (incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings causing oil consumption, piston slap, stalling or fire), which is a 'mixed history' rather than a clean proven-track-record outcome. Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty covers an original owner through the exposure.

Consistent with a subcompact hatchback starting in the low $20,000s: Edmunds finds little soft-touch plastic but says the cabin 'doesn't feel cheap,' pointing to faux leather on the door armrests, a leather-wrapped steering wheel on volume trims, and silver/textured trim breaking up an otherwise all-black cabin. Car and Driver praises the packaging (clever use of space, generous head- and legroom) more than the material grade itself. That reads as competitive-for-price rather than class-leading — on par with segment norms, not standing out against a Mazda3 or Civic Hatchback.

Kia's initial-quality standing was genuinely strong in the 2022 study window — 4th overall (tied with Genesis) at 156 PP100 — and no notable panel-gap, squeak or misalignment pattern is reported specifically for the 2022 Soul, unlike the 2023 car which needed an instrument-cluster software recall. That keeps it in the upper half of the 'generally solid' band. It is held short of the top band because the Soul's boxy body, large unlined cargo area and low sound-deadening budget are a recurring theme in owner and reviewer notes about wind/road noise, which read as scattered rather than absent complaints.

Access is solid — over 750 franchised Kia dealers covered the US in 2022, and a naturally aspirated FWD hatchback with no AWD or hybrid hardware is easy for independent shops to service as well. Service satisfaction is the weaker half: Kia did not place among the top mass-market brands in J.D. Power's 2022 U.S. Customer Service Index (MINI, Buick, Mazda, Mitsubishi and GMC led that year), putting it in mid-pack territory consistent with the brand's typical CSI standing in adjacent years. Dense network, average dealership experience.

The Soul's most durable strength and independent of model-year-specific recall history. Over a million Souls have been built worldwide and it was the best-selling US subcompact from 2011-2018, so wear parts are cheap and widely stocked; the 2.0L Nu MPI/IVT and 1.6T/7-DCT powertrains come straight from the shared Forte/Seltos/Elantra parts bin, and with no AWD hardware, no air suspension and no high-voltage system there is nothing exotic to price a repair upward. RepairPal puts average annual repair and maintenance cost at $437 against a $466 subcompact-class average and $652 across all vehicles, with unscheduled shop visits well below the industry norm. Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty caps the one genuinely costly failure mode for original owners.

For 2022 the Soul's 10.25-inch AVN 5.0 touchscreen with built-in navigation is standard from the X-Line trim up, leaving only the base LX on the smaller 8-inch Display Audio 2.0 unit. 10.25 in is also the maximum available — no 2022 Soul trim offered a larger panel.

The 10.25-inch AVN 5.0 system on X-Line and above is quick and cleanly organized, and Kia retained real volume/tune knobs plus a row of hard shortcut keys under the screen alongside separate physical climate controls — reviewers routinely rate it easier to live with day-to-day than the touch-heavy systems in the Civic and Golf. It sits at the upper end of the hatchback band for a car in this price class, just a shade behind the facelifted 2023 unit that inherited a cleaner home-screen layout.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across all six 2022 trims, but availability is inverted the way Kia/Hyundai head units of this era were: the base LX's 8-inch Display Audio 2.0 unit runs both wirelessly, while the 10.25-inch AVN 5.0 navigation unit fitted from X-Line up — the scored, more expensive configuration — is wired-only.

Native navigation is standard from X-Line up — generous for a subcompact starting under $20k — with SiriusXM traffic on the connected trims, but the base LX has no navigation at all. Voice control is Kia's older embedded command-word system rather than a natural-language assistant, so most owners still fall back to Siri or Google Assistant through phone projection.

Six speakers on base trims — adequate and no more — but the range-topping Turbo adds a genuinely strong 640-watt, 10-speaker Harman Kardon Premium Audio system with center speaker, subwoofer and external amp, one of the more serious upgrades in the subcompact-hatch class. That system is confined to the single most expensive trim, so most Souls sold never get it.

Every trim below Turbo makes do with Kia's "segment" meter cluster — analog needles paired with a small monochrome trip/info display rather than a reconfigurable digital panel — and only the Turbo gets the full-color Supervision digital cluster. That is a step down from most 2020s rivals and from the Soul's own 2023 facelift, which made a full digital cluster standard fleet-wide; for 2022 it is a Turbo-only feature.

2022 is the model year Kia Connect telematics extends to the Soul, delivering map and infotainment-software updates over the air on the navigation-equipped trims roughly twice a year — but nothing beyond the head unit updates remotely, there is no whole-vehicle OTA of the kind Kia's later ccNC-based models received, and the base LX with no navigation and no connected head unit gets nothing at all.

The Kia Access/Kia Connect app covers the core set on connected trims — remote start with climate, lock/unlock, vehicle locate, alerts and diagnostics — with a complimentary one-year trial on qualifying 2022-and-newer Souls. It's held mid-band because remote functions move to a paid plan once the trial lapses, the LX (no Smart Key, no nav head unit) gets little of it, and there is no Kia Digital Key/phone-as-key on this generation.

X-Line and higher add a wireless phone charger and center-console USB chargers on top of the standard USB input, but the S trim sits between LX and X-Line without wireless charging, the ports are older USB-A architecture, there are no dedicated second-row charging points, and no household AC outlet is offered on any trim.

Smart Key with proximity entry and push-button start is available from X-Line up; the base LX and S still get plain remote-keyless-entry with a folding key. There is no phone-as-key on this generation and the liftgate is manual with no hands-free function — mid-band conveniences and nothing beyond them.

A rearview monitor with dynamic parking guidance is standard across the range and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist is standard from X-Line up (a package option on LX/S), but that is the whole toolkit — no ultrasonic parking-distance sensors, no surround-view monitor and no automated parking on any 2022 trim, Turbo included.

A combiner-style head-up display is offered for 2022, but only on the single range-topping Turbo trim — the last year it's available, since the 2023 facelift drops the turbo powertrain in the US and the HUD along with it. With availability confined to one trim out of six, most Souls sold this year cannot be had with one.

The third-generation box shape does the heavy lifting: near-vertical rear doors opening onto a 39.5-in-headroom second row let a car seat go in standing up rather than threaded under a sloping roofline, a high hip point saves the back on every buckle-in, and 24.2 cu ft behind the 60/40 bench takes a stroller without folding anything. IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Acceptable for the 2022 Soul — two full outboard positions plus a tether-only center, anchors that require little force to attach and are easy to find. It falls short of the top band because 70.9 in of width makes three abreast a genuine squeeze, and rear amenities (center armrest, rear vents) are absent below the EX trim most families skip.

2022 is a mid-cycle year for the ADAS suite, ahead of the 2023 change that made it uniform: Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Blind-Spot Collision Warning, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist are standard from S upward (the trim most families actually buy), but on the base LX they only arrive via the optional Technology Package. Pedestrian detection and Smart Cruise Control are reserved for the Turbo trim alone, so the family-volume S/EX cars stop at vehicle-to-vehicle forward collision avoidance with no adaptive cruise and no rear occupant alert (not yet introduced on this nameplate). IIHS did award the 2022 Soul a Top Safety Pick, but that designation applies only to the Turbo's LED headlights and pedestrian-detecting FCA — every other trim wears reflector halogens IIHS rates Poor. NHTSA's 4-star overall (4 front, 5 side, 3 side-pole) is mid-pack, not class-leading.

Four adults fit comfortably for hours — 38.8 in of rear legroom is generous for a subcompact, the ride is 'firm and controlled but never harsh' per Edmunds, and 24.2 cu ft of cargo means luggage still fits with all four seats occupied, the specific case most subcompacts fail. What it lacks is everything that makes the back seat pleasant on a long haul: no rear climate vents, no rear USB ports and no sunshades on any 2022 trim, a center armrest only from EX up, and the cabin noise that comes with the upright windshield and unlined cargo box.

The Soul is built around exactly this mission: light steering, a tall command seating position, class-leading outward visibility from the boxy glasshouse, and the base i-VT's torque converter and simulated ratios make it smooth in stop-and-go — the 2022 model year drops the manual entirely, so every LX-through-GT-Line/EX car now gets that same easy-to-drive automatic. A 10.25-in touchscreen with real climate knobs keeps daily fiddling off the display from X-Line up. It's held out of the top band by the 147-hp 2.0L's strained, noisy merges and on-ramps, and the fact that adaptive cruise is Turbo-exclusive, so the driver works every mile of a congested commute in the volume trims themselves.

Cheap to run in the ways that compound: 30 MPG combined on regular 87 octane for the volume 2.0L i-VT, a RepairPal-rated $437/yr average repair-and-maintenance bill (4.5/5.0 reliability, third among subcompact SUVs), and 16-inch tires on the LX and S trims. Two things keep it mid-band rather than higher: 30 MPG combined is only average for the segment now — a Corolla Hatchback and Prius both beat it by a wide margin, and Kia's above-average insurance surcharge (roughly $2,000-2,400/yr full coverage for a typical driver) gives back part of the fuel savings.

Close to a best case for urban usability. 165.2 in long on a 102.4-in wheelbase makes U-turns and tight spots trivial, and the tall upright glasshouse — deep windows, low beltline, near-vertical tailgate — gives sightlines to all four corners that few rivals match, so the driver actually knows where the body ends. A rearview camera is standard across the range. It stops short of the very top only because no 2022 trim offers ultrasonic parking sensors, a surround-view monitor, or parking assist, so tight spaces are worked off mirrors, glass and a single camera.

Not a work vehicle in any conventional sense. Kia publishes no towing rating for the US Soul and the owner's manual carries no trailer-towing provisions, so the working figure is 0 lbs; there is no bed, no AWD option, and 147 hp (201 on Turbo) through the front wheels is not a load-hauling drivetrain. Payload is thin too — a 4,023-lb GVWR against a roughly 2,844-lb i-VT curb weight leaves about 1,179 lbs for people and cargo combined (the heavier Turbo nets even less). What earns it anything above the floor is real: 24.2 cu ft behind the seats and 62.1 folded, in a square box with a low, flat load floor, is legitimately useful for courier, rideshare or trade-sample duty in a way a conventional sedan trunk is not.

The mechanical basis is ordinarily hard to fault — the naturally aspirated port-injected 2.0L and i-VT come from the same parts bin as the Forte and Seltos, RepairPal rates the nameplate 4.5/5.0 with a $437/yr average repair bill well under the class norm, and a 10-yr/100,000-mi powertrain warranty backs an original owner. But this specific model year sits squarely in the recall population for the Nu engine's piston-oil-ring defect: NHTSA's SC336 campaign covers 2021-2023 Souls built from July 2, 2020 through April 19, 2022 — essentially the full run of MY2022 production — for cylinder-wall scoring, oil consumption, stalling and, in Kia's own filing, fire risk. There is also nothing wear-friendly to specify (cloth only on the volume trims, no rubber-floor or vinyl option), and the Soul has no fleet-service track record under hard use.

Thin, but slightly better provisioned than the facelifted car that followed it: cargo net hooks and a cargo lamp are standard across the range, a dual-level cargo board that flattens the load floor is optional on LX/S/X-Line/GT-Line and standard on EX and Turbo, and — unlike the 2023 model year, which dropped the trim entirely — the 2022 X-Line still comes with genuine roof rails as factory equipment, giving buyers an actual OEM mounting point rather than an aftermarket crossbar purchase. There is still no AC inverter or household outlet on any trim, no factory tie-down rail system, and no factory tow hitch or wiring, so the work case remains light-duty at best.

A workable tourer rather than a good one. The front seats and firm-but-controlled ride hold up on a long day, roughly 30 MPG combined on the volume i-VT gives a comfortable range between fuel stops, and there's real space for four adults and their luggage at once. Working against it: the near-vertical windshield generates persistent wind noise with no acoustic glass offered, 147 hp means grades are taken at high revs and high volume, and adaptive cruise (Smart Cruise Control) exists only on the range-topping Turbo — the S and EX cars most buyers choose make do with plain cruise control, so the fatigue-reduction tech that defines this item is absent from the volume car.

Still pavement-bound — the Soul has never offered all-wheel drive in any model year, ground clearance is 6.7 in, and the volume trims ride on 205/60R16 all-seasons with no towing rating for bikes or a small trailer. What sets 2022 apart from the facelift that followed is the X-Line trim: unlike 2023, it's still in the lineup this year, bringing genuine roof rails and rugged-look cladding that at least signal (and support) light gear-hauling intent, on top of the square 62.1-cu-ft folded cargo box that's genuinely useful for a camping load.

The single best thing about owning a Soul, and 2022 buyers get one extra option the facelifted car lost: 24.2 cu ft behind the second row beats most compact crossovers and 62.1 cu ft folded is close to double a Corolla Hatchback's figure, in a shape — near-vertical tailgate, tall square opening, low load floor — that swallows bulky objects upright instead of wedging them past a sloping hatch. The dual-level cargo board sets a flat floor over the folded seatbacks, and the X-Line's genuine factory roof rails (gone for 2023) add real roof-carriage capability without an aftermarket purchase. It misses the very top only because the rear bench is a plain 60/40 with no pass-through and no slide or recline.

The tall, boxy body doesn't stop the chassis from being genuinely composed: Consumer Reports' own track testing found the 2022 Soul nimble and stable when pushed hard into corners, with tire grip they called outstanding for the class, and Edmunds rates its cornering abilities as better than expected — on par with sportier rivals like the Mazda CX-3 and Mini Countryman. It stays out of the top band because that composure is delivered with little drama or communication (see steering feel), and a taller stance and softer, comfort-leaning suspension tune still show body roll a Mini or GTI-style hatch would not.

Reviewers land on the same middle ground from opposite directions: Consumer Reports calls the steering vague and says it 'doesn't inspire sporty driving,' while Edmunds describes it more charitably as light off-center effort that builds naturally as you turn in. Read together, it's a competent, easy-to-place electric rack with essentially no road feedback — accurate enough for daily use, numb enough that neither outlet recommends it for spirited driving.

Stopping power itself isn't in question — Consumer Reports measured an impressively high speed in its emergency avoidance-maneuver test, and Edmunds found the brakes react in a linear, easy-to-modulate way once you learn them. The catch is exactly that learning curve: Edmunds flags a touchy initial bite that builds too quickly off the top of the pedal, so smooth stops take a deliberate light touch to avoid a lurch. Hardware is modest for the class — 11.0 in. vented front / 10.3 in. solid rear discs on every trim but the Turbo, which steps up to 12.0/11.2 in.

The 2.0L Nu MPI paired with Kia's i-VT (a torque-converter automatic with simulated stepped ratios, not a belt CVT) is well calibrated for a daily driver: Consumer Reports credits it with 'predictable and appropriate acceleration and power,' and the simulated shift points keep it from the flared-rev droning that plagues true CVTs under hard throttle. 2022 also means every trim gets this automatic — Kia dropped the 6-speed manual for this model year — so there's no rough clutch takeup to grade either. It's held out of the top band because outright response is unhurried (Edmunds notes maximum acceleration 'a little lacking' from the 147-hp four), and under sustained load the powertrain works audibly hard rather than staying effortless.

Quiet enough at a cruise, but the naturally aspirated 2.0L makes itself heard exactly when a driver needs power most: Consumer Reports singles out noticeable engine noise under heavy demand — merging onto the highway or climbing a steep grade — which is precisely the everyday scenario this item is meant to catch. There's no report of driveline vibration through the wheel or pedals at a steady cruise, keeping it out of the bottom band, but the coarse note under load is a real, repeatedly-cited demerit rather than an occasional one.

A tight, city-friendly figure at the favorable end of the hatchback band, consistent across every 2022 trim including Turbo.

One of the Soul's clearest strengths behind the wheel. The elevated seating position and tall glasshouse give commanding sightlines few subcompacts match, big windows and a low beltline keep the cabin airy, and a height-adjustable driver's seat paired with generous steering-wheel tilt/telescope range accommodates a wide range of driver sizes with ease. The simple, largely physical-button interior means there's little to fumble for, and U.S. News ranks the Soul near the top of the subcompact SUV class for interior ergonomics. It falls just short of the very top band only because rear visibility and some control placement are ordinary rather than exceptional.

More characterful than a typical economy hatch, without being a genuine enthusiast pick in this powertrain. The Soul (across its lineup) took a Car and Driver 2022 Editors' Choice award, and Edmunds specifically says even the midtier Soul is fun to toss around corners with a pleasant ride on top. But that praise leans on the composed chassis and its funky, practical design more than outright thrills, and the volume 147-hp i-VT car is the mild half of the range — the sportier verdict (turbocharged, dual-clutch) belongs to the Turbo trim, which isn't the configuration scored here. Net: a pleasant, likeable daily companion rather than a car enthusiasts seek out.

Base LX includes an 8-inch touchscreen with standard Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a 6-speaker system, but its full driver-assist suite (forward-collision avoidance, lane-keeping/lane-change assist, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning) is standard only from the S trim up, with LX requiring an optional Technology package for automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and blind-spot monitoring.

The Soul's boxy packaging delivers segment-leading rear headroom/legroom and 24.2 cu ft of cargo space (62.1 cu ft folded) plus standard smartphone integration at a sub-$20K starting price, a real content-per-dollar edge over pricier subcompact-SUV rivals like the CX-30 and Kona — tempered by the fact that 2022's chip-shortage dealer markups eroded the practical value proposition versus the sticker.

Six well-spaced trims — LX, S, X-Line, GT-Line, EX and Turbo — span $19,290 to $27,890, covering a stripped commuter base, rugged-styled X-Line, sport-styled GT-Line, loaded EX and a distinct turbocharged performance variant, a wide spread for a subcompact.

US sales settled in the low-to-mid 50,000-unit range for 2022 (61,263 the following year per GoodCarBadCar), a steady mid-pack result for the segment; production was chip-shortage-constrained during the year even as dealer markups pointed to demand outrunning supply rather than a demand problem.

Kia carried real momentum into 2022 — J.D. Power's 2022 Vehicle Dependability Study named Kia the top overall brand, and the Telluride/Stinger/EV6 halo had shifted the brand's image well past its budget-econobox reputation — but it remains a mainstream, not aspirational, nameplate.

2022 was a seller's market for the Soul: Consumer Reports/CarEdge found average transaction prices roughly 21% over MSRP with some listings near $40,000, minimal dealer inventory (~1,000 units nationally), and essentially no manufacturer incentives or negotiating room for buyers.

The third-generation Soul (SK3) launched for MY2019, making 2022 the fourth model year of the generation with only a minor rear-wiper change and the manual transmission's discontinuation — current and serviceable but not cutting-edge, with a facelift landing the following year (MY2023).

U.S. News & World Report ranked the Soul tied for No. 1 among Best Subcompact SUVs for 2022 (8.4/10) alongside the Mazda CX-30 and Hyundai Kona, and reviewers consistently praised its interior space and value even though it rarely wins outright over sportier or more refined rivals in head-to-head tests.