In January, I wrote about the Kia Soul and since its official roll-out on Tuesday, there’s more information and specs to share on the all-new 2010 Kia Soul urban passenger vehicle.  As it stands right now, I think I prefer the looks of the Kia Soul over the comparable Nissan Cube, but I’m not giving my opinion until this weekend when I hope to test drive both vehicles and give a full and honest review. 

Until then:

Available in Soul, Soul+, Soul! and Soul sport, pricing starts at $13,300 for the base model, while Soul+ ranges from $14,950 to $17,100 with all options. Soul! begins at $16,950 and peaks at $17,900 with all available options, and the Soul sport is priced from $16,950 to $18,600 with all options included.

With a wheelbase of 100.4 inches, length of 161.6 inches, width of 70.3 inches and height of 63.4 inches, the five-passenger Soul offers a comfortably roomy interior.  Soul base features include a chrome-accented grille, clear lens auto-off headlamps, solar glass, black door handles and side mirrors, body-colored front and rear fascias with black inserts, rear wiper/washer, variable intermittent windshield wipers and 15-inch steel wheels.

Soul+ has keyless remote entry, privacy glass on rear windows, dual power side mirrors and 16-inch alloy wheels. Soul+ also includes cruise control, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, dual 12-volt power outlets, dual visor vanity mirrors, map lights and black cloth seats.

Soul! gets you a power sunroof, fog lamps and 18-inch alloy wheels, Soul! also features a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, black cloth interior trim. Also for Soul! and Soul sport (optional for Soul+), a standard Audio Upgrade Package enhances the sound and mood with a center speaker, subwoofer, 315-watt external amplifier and adjustable front speaker lights.

Soul sport features side sills, a rear spoiler, sport-tuned suspension, metal pedals, a bold red-black interior trim with unique red-trimmed cloth seats and metal-finish interior accents.

Other features include a three-dial instrument cluster, LCD illumination, AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with SIRIUS Satellite Radio – three months complimentary service comes standard – as well as USB and auxiliary input jacks that offer iPod and MP3 controllability when used with the optional iPod accessory cable. 

Standard interior features include air conditioning, tilt steering, power door locks and windows, external temperature display, 12-volt power outlet, rear window defroster and dome light with delay. Soul is stylishly appointed with black cloth seats and a versatile 60/40 split-folding rear seat.

Soul is available with two engines – a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder mated to a five-speed manual transmission (base only) and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is available with either the five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission (Soul+, Soul! and Soul sport. Fuel economy for the 1.6-liter manual is 26 city/31 highway, while the 2.0-liter offers 24city/30 highway on both the automatic and manual transmissions.

Safety features abound in all models and include front seat active headrests, dual front advanced airbags, front seat-mounted and full-length side curtain airbags, ABS brakes, Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control System, Electronic Brake Distribution, Brake Assist System, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, front and rear crumple zones, side-impact door beams, impact-absorbing steering column and Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system (LATCH).

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