Kia Soul EV First Edition goes on sale in the UK

The new Kia Soul EV – and it’s only an electric car – goes on sale in the UK with a big spec and prices starting from £33,795.

The new Kia Soul EV was revealed in Los Angeles last November, delivering a new Soul EV with underpinnings borrowed from the e-Niro and available only as an EV in the UK. And now it’s going on sale in the UK priced from £33,795 (after deducting government bribe).

Still an original, boxy, functional family car, the Soul EV comes with a 64kWh battery pack good for a range of around 280 miles, and can be recharged at a 50kW Rapid Charger to 80 per cent in around 75 minutes. If only it could use 100kW chargers (or more) as they come on stream.

Having decided they’d only offer the electric Soul in the UK, Kia has also decided, at least for now, that the only model will be the First Edition, although it seems likely that will change at some point.

The Soul EV First Edition comes with LED lights front and back, Privacy Glass, 17″ alloys, black leather, electric driver’s seat, heated fronts eats and steering wheel, adjustable regenerative braking, Climate and Smart entry.

Other goodies include HUD, 10.25″ Infotainment, 7″ Display Cluster, Sat Nav with TMC, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, reversing camera, rear parking sensors and Harmon Kardon Sound.

Safety stuff is well covered with Forward Collision, Lane Keep, Lane Follow, High Beam Assist, Blind Spot, Rear Cross Traffic, Hill Start and TPS. Paint options are limited to Neptune Blue with Black roof, Clear White with Red roof or Quartz Black with Red roof.

Kia say they’ve opened the order book for the new Soul EV early so they can plan production and avoid the year-long waiting lists we’re seeing with the Niro-e. Let’s hope that’s the case.