Kia Soul review: the quirky crossover Bahrain never quite discovered
MotorsSouq Editorial Team
The Soul rewards buyers who value practicality and visibility over conventional crossover styling, and the 1.6-litre GDI engine is a proven, reliable unit shared with several other Kia and Hyundai models. Its rarity in Bahrain is a double-edged sword: little competition when negotiating a good used example, but a smaller pool of specialist knowledge and spare examples to draw parts from.
Pros
- Excellent headroom and outward visibility for the car's size
- Proven, reliable 1.6L GDI drivetrain shared with other Kia/Hyundai models
- Light, easy steering for city driving
- Rarity means little negotiating competition on good used examples
Cons
- Very few independent workshops have specific Soul experience in Bahrain
- Thin used market makes finding a good example slow
- Not a quick car and rear cargo space is modest
The second-generation Soul never chased crossover convention, and that is still its strongest argument. The tall, boxy body delivers headroom and all-round visibility that far sleeker rivals give up for the sake of a coupe-like roofline, and the upright seating position makes it genuinely easy to get in and out of for older passengers.
An overlooked drivetrain
The 1.6-litre GDI four and six-speed automatic combination underpins several well-regarded Kia and Hyundai models of the same era, and it carries a solid reputation for durability when serviced on schedule. It is not a quick car, but it is a willing one, and the light steering makes it easy work in Manama traffic.
Because so few were sold new in Bahrain, the used market is thin in both directions: good examples do not come up often, but neither does serious competition when one does. That rarity also means fewer independent workshops have hands-on Soul experience specifically, even though most of the mechanical parts are shared with more common Kia and Hyundai models.
It suits a buyer who wants a small, practical, slightly different car and is prepared to search a little harder and drive a little further for parts than a Sportage owner would.