The 2023 Kia Soul Trades Its Turbo Engine For More Stylish Looks

Kia has given its boxy Soul crossover a refresh, with funkier styling and new colors that the company describes as "smile-inducing." While the Soul's fun personality remains at center stage for 2023, drivers won't find as much pleasure from behind the wheel as they did last year.

The Soul will no longer offer the X-Line and Turbo trim levels in 2023, which means that the peppy turbocharged four-cylinder is a goner. This leaves the standard four-cylinder as the only engine option, which has been criticized for being underpowered. Buyers will also be stuck with a CVT transmission, since the Turbo's seven-speed automatic is being dropped as well. The unfortunate loss of the Turbo and X-Line shorten the Soul's trim lineup, which is now made up of the LX, S, EX, and GT-Line. One notable highlight is the addition of a larger 10.25" touchscreen display with navigation on every trim, with the exception of the base LX.

On the plus side, the Soul gets even snazzier for 2023, with redesigned headlights, a new lower grille design, vertical LED fog lamps, and a repositioned Kia emblem. The 17- and 18-inch alloy wheels also gain new designs to match the Soul's more expressive look. At the rear, a new bumper and revised taillights finish up the styling enhancements for 2023. Brighter exterior colors include Surf Blue and Clear White, which can both be paired with a Fusion Black roof for a two-tone look.

A new LX Technology package adds more features to the value-oriented trim, including a blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, and 16-inch alloy wheels. On the other side of the spectrum, the GT-Line Technology package brings extra perks to an already well-equipped trim. A Harman Kardon sound system with an external amplifier, subwoofer, and tweeters on the doors can be controlled via the infotainment system, and multi-color LED lights on the speakers can pulse with your music. The rest of the features in this package include forward collision avoidance with junction turning capability, adaptive cruise control, Highway Driving Assist (Kia's semi-autonomous driving system), an electronic braking brake, LED headlights and taillights, a power driver's seat, high-gloss interior finishes, a cargo cover, and a dual-level cargo floor.

Forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, driver attention warning, rear occupant alert, and high beam assist are newly standard safety features, further adding to the Soul's amazing value.

Official pricing will be announced closer to the 2023 Soul's late summer release, but expect it to start around $20,000.

Do you think the Soul's new looks make up for the loss of the turbo engine?

Images: Kia