As well as the choice of petrol or diesel engines, buyers also have five trim levels to choose from: Start, Connect, Connect Plus, Mixx and Maxx. All models come with DAB radio, variable power steering, painted bumpers, keyless entry, tyre pressure monitoring system, wheel-mounted audio controls and USB/auxiliary audio connections. The entry level Start model has 16-inch steel wheels and air conditioning and weighs in at £12,600. Move up to the Connect model (£14,800 to £17,900) and you get part-leather trim, larger 17-inch alloy wheels, heated door mirrors, fog lamps, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, a reversing camera, a central storage box-cum-armrest between the front seats and black gloss trim on dash, steering wheel and parts of the door trim. Mid-spec Connect Plus (£15,900 to £19,000) gets an enhanced sound system (including front speaker mood lights) and integrated satellite navigation. The lower three trim levels are available from launch.
The upper two trim levels - Mixx and Maxx - will be following in the summer. The penultimate Mixx (£18,150 to £21,250) gets even bigger wheels - 18-inch alloys - LED lighting, privacy and solar glass and heated front seats as well as exterior trim highlights, including a contrasting-coloured roof and door mirror casings. A tougher, more sport-oriented appearance is provided, courtesy of an urban styling pack. The topof-the-range Maxx model (£19,950 to £21,550) gets leather trim, front and rear parking sensors and a fixed panoramic sunroof. Its technology is also improved, benefiting from a TFT instrument cluster, smart-key entry and engine stop/start button. The Soul comes with 354 litres of boot space with its rear seats in place, rising to 1,367 litres with them folded away. Kia say that a Soul EV - a fully-electric version with zero tailpipe emissions - will also be added to the Nissan Juke-rivalling range at the end of this year. Kia expect 5,000 Soul's to be sold in the UK as it aims to take full advantage of the booming European crossover market. In 2013, 380,000 units were sold in Western Europe and Kia predicts this will increase to 600,000 by next year. The UK plays a significant part in this picture, contributing more than a quarter of Western European crossover sales.
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