Kia Soul EV range comes with new cheaper short range battery option

The Kia Soul EV is now available with short-range 39.2kWh in new Urban trim and there’s a new Explore trim too. Prices from £32,795.

It’s more than three years since the new Kia Soul EV went on sale in the UK as the Soul became an EV-only offering in the UK, with underpinnings borrowed from the Kia e-Niro and delivering a relatively affordable left-field EV offering.

Only available as a ‘First Edition’ model with 64kWh battery, that remained the case until last year when Kia delivered a new model – the Soul EV Maxx – which was effectively just a re-badged First Edition.

But now Kia has decided to expand the Soul EV range, so in come two new trim options – Urban and Explorer – with the new Urban Soul coming with a smaller 39.2kWh battery and the Soul Explorer with the familiar 64kWh battery.

The Soul Urban spec marks a new entry-level Soul EV with range of 171 miles, although Kia says that’s 252 miles in the city, and comes with 17″ wheels, 8″ infotainment, LED headlights, reversing camera, adaptive cruise and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Prices start at £32,795.

The Soul Explorer is really the Soul Maxx rebadged again and comes with a 280-mile range (402 miles in the city) and comes with bigger 10.25″ infotainment with Nav, parking sensors, privacy glass, auto lights and wipers, leather and heated seats, as well as added safety stuff and titivated cosmetics. It costs from £38,995.

On sale now, the New Kia Soul EV Urban and Explorer will start arriving with buyers before the end of the year.