Now on the third generation, the Kia Soul gains a facelift for the 2023 model year. The 2023 Soul has gained new headlamps, taillamps, front and rear bumpers, plus stylishly redesigned alloy wheel options. Now available as a simplified range, choosing a 2023 Soul has never been easier.
The 2023 Kona is one of the major competitors of the 2023 Soul, as both hail from South Korea. The Kona debuted in 2017 and received its last major facelift in 2020.
We will compare the Soul vs. Kona, evaluating them on performance, interior traits, and safety features. If you find that the 2023 Soul is the best fit for you, get in touch with the Tempe Kia team in Tempe, AZ, and find out how you can take one home.
The 2023 Soul and 2023 Kona are both subcompact crossovers with seating for up to five adults. While the Soul and Kona offer similar dimensions for front seat occupants, the Soul edges ahead with a more spacious rear cabin, offering better head, leg, and shoulder room.
The 2023 Soul also edges the 2023 Kona on luggage space, offering 24.2 cubic feet, which is significantly more than the 19.2 cubic feet that the Kona can offer.
The 2023 Soul and 2023 Kona both come with air conditioning, manual climate control, and touchscreen infotainment systems with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ as standard. They’ve also got smart device integration and MP3 playback. The Soul also offers HD radio as standard.
In terms of appearance and ambiance, the 2023 Soul’s cabin’s newer and fresher cabin design is apparent, while the Kona’s cabin is just starting to show its age.
Kia has simplified the Soul range by offering just one engine and transmission option for 2023. For North America, a 2.0-liter in-line 4-cylinder gasoline engine sends 148 horsepower and 132 foot-pounds of torque to the front wheels through a CVT transmission with Sport and Eco modes.
Interestingly, the 2023 Kona shares the same powertrain, providing the two vehicles with near-identical fuel consumption figures. However, the 2023 Soul can go further between fill-ups, thanks to a larger 14.3-gallon fuel tank. The 2023 Kona comes with a 13.2-gallon fuel tank.
The 2023 Soul and 2023 Kona come with a comprehensive suite of safety features as standard, including six airbags, stability control, traction control, daytime running lights, child safety locks, and a tire pressure monitoring system. The Soul also comes standard with adaptive cruise control, which is optional on the Kona.
It looks like the 2023 Kia Soul is the smart choice for those seeking a stylish, nippy, and practical compact crossover. Its larger interior volume, longer range between fill-ups, and fresher design are just a few of many plaudits that it can muster over its competitor, the 2023 Hyundai Kona.
If you’d like to check out the 2023 Soul, drop by Tempe Kia in Tempe, AZ, where you can take one for a test drive. We might even have your ideal spec waiting for you on the lot.