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The boxy subcompact car segment is one that is on the rise in the USA, with the redesigned Kia Soul and the all-new Fiat 500L being the latest members.

It is not every model that has done well in this category in the past, with the likes of the Honda Element and the Scion xB counted among the failures.

Sales of both models were brisk at the outset, but Honda eventually discontinued the Element in 2011, while the xB saw sales drop off dramatically, to about a third of initial numbers, by the end of 2013.

The Kia Soul started to dominate the segment shortly after it was released in 2009, and it hasn’t looked back since. Great value and a ton of street cred propelled the Soul to 118,000 units sold in 2013, making it one of Kia’s most popular models in the United States.

Kia Soul Compared To Fiat 500L In The Latest LA Times New Vehicle Road Test

The second-generation Soul model took to the streets last year.

The new version retains the iconic look of the original, but there were some subtle changes made to the dimensions, as well as having a new front wheel drive chassis to ride on.

The Fiat 500L, on the other hand, is the newest model in the boxy subcompact segment.

Think of this model as an extension of the super-popular Fiat 500. This is a 5-door hatchback model that Fiat believes will help expand the reach of their brand in the United States.

They are somewhat following the lead set by Mini Cooper, who started out with a single model and now has 7 variants in the line-up.

The 500L is obviously looking to knock the Kia Soul off of its perch, but does it have what it takes to steal the crown?

The US-renowned LA Times took a look at both of them, with the final answer perhaps coming as a surprise to many!!

“One of these cars is the best in the category, while the other is one that probably shouldn’t even have seen the light of day.”

Fiat 500L

Rather than building the suspense, let’s just say that this car is one of the worst new releases in quite some time. Every single aspect of the car, from drivetrain to overall design, is a total disaster.

In fairness, this observation did come as quite a surprise, especially since the 500L looked great on paper.

It sports the same 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine that is found in the hot Fiat 500 Abarth, which in this model delivers 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.

The model that LA Times tested came with a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission, a $1,350 option.

It was actually this combination that took all of the fun out of driving the car. Turbo lag made it impossible to get any kind of acceleration from a stop.

Getting the engine up to a decentpower level meant having to deal with an incredible amount of noise. The transmission shuddered through every change, taking away any chance of a smooth shift.

Ergonomically speaking, the inside of the 500L is awful. There is literally no comfort or support to be found in the seats. The climate controls are positioned so low as to be virtually invisible, and the construction materials used feel cheap.

Fuel economy: On the plus side, the 500L delivers slightly better fuel efficiency numbers than the Soul. A 24 mpg city and 33 mpg highways, which compares to the 23/31 of the Kia model.

Kia Soul

Every single thing that Fiat did wrong was done right by Kia!

The fun begins with the drivetrain. All but the base model come with a 2.0-liter direct-injected, 4-cyliner engine that delivers 164-horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque, and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

It’s a combination that delivers a smooth, quiet ride, with a lot of power to spare.

Ride & handling: The new Soul’s lighter and stiffer chassis makes it much easier to handle than the 500L, which had a leaning issue when taking turns. The seats are comfortable and positioned to give a great view of the road ahead.

Interior: The Soul comes in 4 inches shorter than the 500L, but you would never know it from the interior. There is plenty of space for passengers and cargo.

Rather than going for the hip factor, Kia created a dashboard that is intuitive and very well laid out.

All buttons were well within reach and right where you would expect them, while the touchscreen navigation system was incredibly easy to use.

The minor complaints about the interior of the Kia Soul seem particularly trivial when you remember the hot mess that is the 500L.

The button that controls the panoramic roof is trickier than it has to be, while the colored rims around the speakers are a distraction, albeit one that can be switched off.

Pricing: The Kia Soul that we tested came fully-loaded, which meant heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, the massive panoramic sunroof, touch-screen navigation system, backup camera, HID headlights, leather seats, etc.

The total price after all those additions came in at $26,195. While that is more than the $24,445 Fiat 500L sticker price, there were no heated seats, heated steering wheel, or panoramic roof included in the Fiat.

Add those into the mix and you take the total price to about $1,000 more than the 2014 Kia Soul.

You can get the base models of each for less than $20,000.

Review: New Soul Proves To Be The Best Vehicle In The Boxy Car Segment

What we believed would be a closely fought battle ended up being a mauling, with the Soul showing why it is such a beloved little car.

Fiat, however, are in the process of re-introducing their brand to the US, may have hurt themselves a bit by producing the 500L as part of that strategy.

Find more details about the LA Times article here.

Kia has made its first foray into the performance hatch sector with the new Procee’d GT.

The sporty 3-door hatchback is an ambitious offering that is built in the company’s plant in Slovakia.

Kia has already built a solid reputation for delivering dependable models, whilst building their brand in the process. This release is the next logical step in their exciting business model.

The all new Kia pro_ceed GT comes complete with a turbocharged version of the “Gamma” 1,6L direct-injection GDI engine.

There is also an aspirated version of this engine found in the standard Kia Pro_cee’d 3-door hatchback, but with a twin scroll turbocharger added, you get quite an impressive a increase in power and torque output.

The turbo adds up to 204 horsepower at 6000rpm, and 265 Nm of torque between 1750rpm and 4500rpm.

There have also been changes made to the steering, brakes, suspension, and gearbox, all with the goal of giving the vehicle a sportier feel.

That is taken one step further with the sporty additions of color, chrome, and the red stitching on the leather.

Limited Edition GT Model Launched

To celebrate Kia’s first entry into the performance hatchback segment, the company has come up with a launch model known as the GT 1st Edition (limited to 500 units only).

The Kia Procee’d GT certainly looks the part, with an exterior that is both sleek and sporty. It displays a definite air of masculinity, but not at the expense of the clean lines seen in the base car.

The interior has a lot to offer, starting with the supportive Recaro sports seats, which is something of a surprise find in a Kia. That is just one small sign of how far the brand has come in the past decade.

The seats are just the beginning of the stylish interior, which is exactly what you would imagine a sporty hatch should look like.

There are touches of upgraded materials like leather and suede, as well as steel pedals and the aforementioned red stitching.

Pro_cee’d GT Performance

As far as performance goes, the Kia Procee’d GT is just a little off the pace of its top competitors. The GT goes from 0-62 mph in 7.4 seconds, putting it a full second slower than the Volkswagen Golf GTI, one of its main rivals.

That said, there is a lot to like about the turbocharged engine which delivers a steady surge of power, even at low revs.

The engine noise is very well insulated in the cabin, which may disappoint those that like to hear the growl of a sporty engine. Those on the outside will definitely get the benefit of that sound.

The car never really feels that it is going to break any speed records, but its overall performance is a perfect balance between control and power.

The GT suspension is a retuned version of the one that appears on the standard Procee’d. It comes with increased damper rebound and compression rates, stiffer springs and bushes and a larger rear anti-roll bar.

The Pro_cee’d GT is easy to handle when cornering, whilst also displaying a high level of body control when called upon to change direction. It’s a fun ride that allows you to take to the road with complete confidence.