Kia Soul

The split at the third generation is brutal. From 2019 Kia stopped pure petrol in Europe and sells the model only as an electric car: the e-Soul with 39.2 kWh, 136 hp and about 270 km, or with 64 kWh, 204 hp and over 450 km of real range, sharing its drivetrain with the e-Niro. In America the electric model never reached the market at all. So the American and the European Soul after 2019 resemble each other only from the outside.

There are two American engines. The 2.0 Smartstream with 147 hp is the base, naturally aspirated, on an IVT — simple, cheap to run and perfect for an LPG conversion. It is also the one we hold most of. The 1.6 Turbo GDI with 201 hp is the sporting choice on a seven-speed DCT and turns the Soul into a genuine hot hatch; it was offered until 2022, and after the 2023 facelift only the naturally aspirated 2.0 remained in America.

There is no four-wheel drive, and that is without exception. Not one Soul of this generation has driven rear wheels — all of them are front-drive, and our own stock confirms it down to the last car. The American X-Line trim looks like a small off-roader with plastic arch trims and grey underbody panels, but that is exactly what it is: a visual package on front-wheel drive.

The electric cars we do hold are from the old generation. We have a handful of Soul EVs and all of them are between 2015 and 2018 — the second generation, not the e-Soul. If you want the modern electric Soul with 64 kWh, that is a European car and it does not come from an American auction. The American electric versions also use a different charging standard from the European network.

The simple rule: if you want a cheap city car to run on gas, look for an American import with the 2.0 petrol — tall, comfortable and mechanically plain. If you want a modern electric car, look for a European e-Soul with 64 kWh, which also has a heat pump for winter. The two barely meet in the market.