FAMA Magazine names Kia Soul the “Small car of the year”…
Adding even more recognition to its growing list of accolades, the 2010 Kia Soul was named “Small Car of the Year” by FAMA Magazine during an award presentation at the 2010 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.
Also named one of “10 Great and Safe Rides for Teens” by AutoWeek magazine, one of the “Most Exciting Cars of 2010″ by TIME.com, given two “Top Safety Picks” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and named to the “Top 10 Back-to-School Cars” list by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, Soul was selected by FAMA for its extensive list of safety features, dynamic styling, impressive interior room and value.
“Soul offers today’s consumer a practical and attractive option with a more than impressive package of vibrant styling, extensive safety features and standard amenities,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing of Kia Motors America (KMA). “In today’s economy we feel it’s important that buyer’s don’t have to sacrifice these necessities for overall value, and Soul delivers.”
Editors from FAMA selected the top vehicles across six categories, including Editor’s Choice Award, Green Car/Hybrid of the Year, Best Luxury Sport Utility, Sport Car of the Year, Small Car of the Year and Car of the Year for Women. Each vehicle considered possessed a long list of safety features, impressive styling, interior space and value.
Available in four trims, Soul, Soul+, Soul! (exclaim) and Soul sport, Kia Motors’ affordable halo vehicle offers an attractive starting price below $14,000(1). Four special edition Souls, based on the Soul+ trim, also are being released throughout the year, including Denim Soul, Ignition Soul and most recently Shadow Dragon Soul. Offering consumers even more ways to customize the Soul, each special edition comes with its own unique exterior color and packaging.
In addition to presenting an immense amount of style and value, Soul also offers an extensive list of standard safety features, including front seat active headrests, dual front advanced airbags, front seat-mounted and full-length side curtain airbags, an Antilock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist System (BAS) and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Front and rear crumple zones, side-impact door beams, an impact-absorbing steering column and Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system also come standard.
January 12th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Now watch Hyundai come out with their version of the Soul.
January 12th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
!!!!!!!!!! TOTALLY AGREEE Love this Car the sound system is awsome and incredible Deep base through the Installed subwoofer is so true and has a lot of punch very good quality sound !
Have had Focal subs in the past that is high end after market audio and it took up so much trunk space in my spectra but with the soul its all built in and didnt have to pay the 1300.00 extra for the sub or the 1400.00 for the audison amp ITS COMMING STANDARD with the SOUL .
All i got to say is if you love your tunes on the road you got to get a soul ! The Door lights are just a bonus for us guys who grew up in the 70s IN THE DISCO ERA circa 1978 . Not too shure if im going to be Sirus for ever after the first 3 months free there is only one DISCO SIRUS CHANNEL the Strobe but love the car YEE ha !!!
January 13th, 2010 at 1:30 am
JTZ, no Hyundai soul in the Plans. Why do a Soul when you have Accent hatch and Elantra Touring. Stop acting like a Jealous kid, and relaize that Hyundai is trying to grow into a Luxury Company, thus transaction prices will be inherently $2000-$7500 more.
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Dont worry Plenty of goodies for KIA to come.
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The NACOTY committee agreed with FAMA that this was the best small car, but they eliminated it from the semi final round of voting due what they called it “Cheap Propelyne Plastics That Sratch easy in the interior.” They wanted to have this car as a finalist, but they couldnt do it. They said that would have been a blind approval to KIA to keep this Plastic in the car.
January 13th, 2010 at 2:53 am
Now come one HyundaiSmoke you know that Hyundai is more likely to take Kia’s Soul platform than Hyundai is to give up the Genesis platform to Kia.
January 13th, 2010 at 6:34 am
If you want my honest opinion, if Kia was a person, they would be getting hit by one of their own cars. Kia is screwed. Ok, lets look at some different things going on at Kia.
GDI. I wanted to see this 6 months ago Kia! Where the hell have you been? GM has it. Ford has it. Kia, they are taking this, and rubbing it directly in your face. The Forte is absolutely the most mediocre entry to your line up in a while. The hood flexes and bows and makes horrible noises every time you touch the damn thing. The trunk sucks. When loading you shouldn’t have to worry about the trunk hinges CRUSHING what you put in the trunk!! Where are the options on the Forte, Kia? From what I can tell, there are only minuscule features differences between the LX and the SX. Why doesn’t the Forte reach 40 MPG?? If it had GDI, it could. Just turning on the radio in the SX model is a horror – it sounds the same as the LX! Kia, you missed the boat on this one. You set the bar remarkably low on this car, and you should be ashamed.
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Model years. KIA – WHY ON EARTH IS THE SORENTO A 2011 MODEL!!?? Have you completely lost your mind? Look at what happened to the Soul. If it would have been a 2009 model, you wouldn’t have had to make mid-model year changes, and you could have added HEATED LEATHER SEATS, just to the 2010 model, you wouldn’t have had to wait. Kia – something is wrong when the NISSAN CUBE is beating you in comparisons.
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Dealerships. Kia, some of your dealerships need help. Dealerships who put a “market adjustment” on their cars should immediately lose their franchise and all chances of getting it back. What a sneaky, underhanded, sick and twisted way to ring out money from recession-hardened consumers. I saw your customer service ratings, Kia. You are not getting anywhere with unreputable dealerships.
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Service departments. Dear Kia, some of your service departments should be condemned to HELL. When a customer brings in a vehicle, what should service departments do? They should verify the customer’s problem, attempt to reproduce the problem, fix the problem right, DON’T JUST RESET THE ECU. If there is a problem somewhere in the system, fix it! Check your TSBs! Service departments should have a limit to a number of customer complaints that can be received before the service personnel are replaced. There should be a surprise monthly inspection for all dealerships.
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I have more complaints, but currently I am so mad at Kia, I can’t think of them. The Forte and the Soul could have potentially won NACOTY, but Kia practically ASKED not to get it. They really F**KED everything up!
January 13th, 2010 at 6:39 am
Oh, and Kia, you have not done JACKS**T with any kind of green tech in the USA. When FORD is beating you, you deserve nothing but spit in your face!!
January 13th, 2010 at 6:46 am
Oh, and another thing – HOOD PROPS. Kia, I will try to say this nicely…….ARE YOU SO D@MN CASH STRAPPED THAT YOU CAN’T EVEN PUT GAS STRUT LIFTERS IN YOUR CARS!?!??! If I see another hood prop in one of your cars I will rip it off and shove it up the @$$ of whoever’s stupid absolutely MORONIC, doltish, asinine, nonsensical, unintelligent and SENSELESS idea it was to ever even conceptualize the very idea of a HOOD PROP! GAHHH!
January 13th, 2010 at 6:53 am
Greg, Hyundai gets GDi tech as standard and KIA will get GDi tech as an option for its models.
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The Whole idea is Superior fuel economy is part of the “New Luxury.”
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JTZ of course we’re going to use the Platform on the Accent/Veloster (Accent Hatch). The Soul rides a heavily modified Current gen Accent/Rio platform=next gen platform.
January 13th, 2010 at 6:56 am
Greg, everything will be fixed. Remember, KIA wll be the ‘Reliability” company in the future.
January 13th, 2010 at 7:58 am
Well, with their 2009-2010MY offerings, it looks as if Kia is going the Opposite ways. I swear, Kias were better in 2007! Just look at how cheap Kia made the interior of the 09-10 Optima compared to the interior quality of the 06.5-08 Optima. The Spectra actually felt better built than the excuse-for-a-Kia, the Forte.
January 13th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
I disagree Kia is better now than in 2007. The Forte would have been very very expensive if it had soft touches but they could have at least done it for the Forte’s doors. Anyway, the surveys, when buying a Forte it probably for Hyundai’s next Elantra. Yeah it’s so they can get all the kinks out of the Forte so the Elantra want have the hard plastics like int he Forte. Remember it’s not Kia’s fault blame it on that other Korean brand hyundai. It’s all it’s fault. Why is it the Sante Fe is being built in the West Point Plant but their is no Kia’s being built in it’s plant?
Personally I’m not that worried about the Forte I think it’s doing pretty well even if Hyundai took away the Forte’s features for the USA. I bet Hyundai ain’t taking away the Elantra’s features when it comes out? Infact Korean Hyundai’s and American Hyundai’s have the same features. Greg put your anger out on Hyundai not Kia.
January 13th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I’m very satisfied with my Forte my biggest issue is the hard plastics that Kia I mean Hyundai gave it.
January 13th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
I bet the next Elantra want have hard plastics. Hyundai gave the Forte hard plastics so that it can’t win car of the year. Hyundai’ wants all the car of the year awards. Think about the 2006.5 Optima didn’t win car of the year becasue it didn’t have the Sonata’s selfish 3.3L V6 engine. What good is a 2.7 V6 engine that has less than 200 horses?
January 13th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
The Civic SI has more horses than that useless Hyundai 2.7L V6. But Hyundai wanted to take the first generation Kia Sorento’s 3.8L V6 engine and put it in their poor looking Lexus RX wanna be Veracuze. Aint’ that something?
January 13th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
No, I don’t care about Hyundai one way or another. Just look at how cheap Kia made the interior of the 09-10 Optima compared to the interior quality of the 06.5-08 Optima.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:18 am
Hyundai has to have the soft touch plastics etc….. The 2.7 is about to go anyway. The Sonata 2.4 Turbo GDi will replace that 2.7L Mu V6 and will have 275 HP ~35MPG.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Try as they may…Hyundai just CAN’T design cars as cool as Kia can. Just the facts, men.
January 15th, 2010 at 12:23 am
Bryan, teir no supposedto look col. Hyundai=Elegance and passion. KIA=Sportiness and Youthfulness.
January 15th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
If you guys saw the Nissan Juke tell me what you guys think about it and the name. I think it’s a cool looking Nissan THAT should have been the Soul’s rival. That sucker looks raw but the name just sucks. It must have something to do with music. Now If Kia were to make the next Carens look cool too, bring that sucker to the states. That must be the Rondo’s rival and let me tell you that sucker is sleek looking. Hondas however appear to be getting uglier and uglier every year. From the teaser, I swear the CR-X or CR-Z (whatever that ugly coupe is called) was going to look better than the Forte Koup… NOT. Koreans make the best looking cars. Just look at the next Chevy Aveo. GM knows for some odd reason Korean cars have had very good looking designs.
January 15th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
As for Kia, since the Sorento already been revealed at the electronic auto show, the Cadenza should have came with UVO at the NAIAS. It really should have.
January 15th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
I was at NAIAS yesterday. I found out that the Borrego successor will show up to Chicago in concept form, the Sportage and Optima will star at NYIAS. Unfortunately the Cadenza isn’t coming to the states until 2011 as a 2012 model. It will show up at LAIAS just like the Sorento did. We WILL see the Cadenza here, for sure. There is a team working on deciding the name. Right now they have it narrowed down to Cadenza and Amanti, and I hope they go with Cadenza. The Rio will show up at NAIAS next year. As of 2012 the entire Kia lineup world-wide will consist of:
SA: Select markets
New Rio, variants: All markets except Europe
YN: Europe
AM: global
TD, variants: global, except europe
ED, variants: europe
SL: global
TF: global
XM: global
VG: global
CH: global
HM: Korea, select markets
HM successor: global
commercial vehicles: select markets
January 15th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
Hmmm, save the best for last that seems like a good idea. I wonder what that Borrego successor will be like. Since it will become a CUV, I wonder if this is considered a 2nd generation or facelift? What do you guys think? Maybe it is a 2nd generation I mean no car manufacturer is going to bring a facelfit into concept form what a waste of money. After all, concepts cost a lot of money to design and then destroy it after it has been at selective auto shows. Anyway as for the Borrego do you guys think it’ll be a Genesis like CUV or what? Do you think it’ll have a panaramic roof? It must have UVO since the Sorento will. But what seems to be strange is this rumored CUV has not been on spy shots. And since it is not a truck anymore, they must have test drivien it so that the owner’s manual can help out customers if their are problems. It’s so so strange how a big CUV like that escaped spy shots. Hmmmm, so if that escaped spy shots then it is a possibility more Kias have avoided having their picture taken. Maybe even the K9 or the Kee or even the Soulster. I belive the Kia Soulster has already been outside and somehow was missed. I also beleive Kia used the Optima to discract the spyiers from taking pictures of up coming Kias.
January 15th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Kia is up to something I tell you they are up to something. The Borrego successor’s timing is perfect since the next Explorer has been caught on spy shots as well as the next GrandCherokee. The Borrego must be in the same class as them because it has a V6 as well as a V8 unlike the veracruze or Highlander right? So this is going to be some good compititon. GM made have made another mistake. Think about it, if GM is in the Highlander class with that stupid van looking Chevy Traverse, what is their CUV with a V8 like Jeep Ford and maybe Kia will have? Toyota might have missed up too,
January 16th, 2010 at 4:03 am
Another thought just came up in mind. If the BOF Borrego is still selling in S. Korea, and America is getting a Borrego to be a CUV, do you guys wonder if maybe the CUV going to replace S. Korea’s version as well or do you guys think that this will be an entire new model? Maybe it’ll get another name? Maybe it’ll be named K something? Do you guys think the concept to be shown in Chicago will look like the Kia Mesa or do you guys think it’ll really have the new face of Kia like the Sorento, Forte, next Sportage in Cadenza. Do you guys think it’ll have the Cadenza’s steering wheel? Do you guys think it’ll have that strip like the Cadenza? What color do you think that strip will be blue or red? Do you guys think the towaing capacity will be like 5000lbs? How fast do you think it’ll get from 0 to 60? Do you think it’ll have that self leveling device? Do you think it’ll seat more passenger space than that ugly Traverse? How much do you think it’ll cost? Do you think it’ll be cheaper or more expense? Do you guys think it’ll be built in the States like the Sorento? Do you guys think it’s getting the Verazcruz’s platform or a all new platform? I hope that fuel cell engine works in the crossover. I saw a title Toyota was supposed to come out with fuel cells by 2015.
January 16th, 2010 at 8:50 am
The three assembly lines at the West Point factory will be XM, TF, and next SantaFe. The next Borrego will be unibody, but RWD. Of course it will have the tiger nose, and the corporate “large car” steering wheel (VG, XM). Yes to automatic load leveling, yes to more passenger space. Starting price around 25,000 and built off of Veracruz platform. Look for debut at Chicago 2011.
January 28th, 2010 at 10:51 am
So i guess they will go through on that plan to bring Picanto to the US? 1.2-1.4 GDI would be perfect for that car.
January 29th, 2010 at 6:27 am
Well I will tell you the Soul is not only for teens I am 62 and my husband 69. We transport my 86 year old father who loves the Soul except he claims that the ride is a little rough. We drive from El Paso to Phoenix and it is great on the road. More advertising is needed because we are always stopped and admired every where we go with the Soul. Great car.
June 15th, 2010 at 3:34 am
Greg, Totally agree about the hood props! One of the more idiot things car manufacturers have ever done