The Kia Soul just goes to show that inspiration can strike at any time. Designer Mike Torpey explains that the Soul was originally inspired by an educational program about the wild boar he saw while visiting Korea. The first sketch for the Soul, in fact, was a wild boar wearing a backpack—designed to convey the boxy vehicle’s tough, rugged style, “cool stance,” and “ready to go” attitude. Attitude is everything, in fact, in the 2011 Kia Soul, a carryover from its introduction to the market in 2010. This is a car designed for those who want fun and funky, rather than performance. With an affordable pricetag, front-speaker lights that can flash in time to the tunes on the sound system, and color choices such as Alien, Molten, Ignition, and Denim, the Kia Soul is designed for the younger crowd who want to be able to box up the party “to go.”

The 2011 Soul is available in four trims—all front-wheel-drive vehicles (the Soul offers no all-wheel- or four-wheel-drive options, despite its claims of boar-like ruggedness). The trim lineup includes the Base Soul, the Soul + (plus), the Soul ! (exclamation point), and the Soul Sport. A standard five-speed manual transmission with overdrive appears in all trims, with a four-speed automatic available for all but the Base. The Base offers a standard 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder (I4) engine with 122 hp at 6,300 rpm, 115 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm, and mileage estimates of 26 mpg city/31 highway. The other three trims use a 2.0-liter I4 DOHC engine with 142 hp at 6,000 rpm and 137 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm, earning slightly lower fuel economy numbers with 24 city/30 highway for both manual and automatic transmissions. The engine has been described by some as a bit anemic and best suited to downtown driving. When pushed during highway acceleration, critics comment on loud engine noise and a desire for additional gears to ease shifting, for both the automatic and manual transmissions. Noise is apparently a notable weakness for the Soul—not only from engine acceleration, but from road noise and wind at high speeds.

The Base, +, and ! all ride on an independent front suspension with MacPherson struts, coil springs, gas shock absorbers, and a stabilizer bar. The rear suspension is a torsion beam system with coil springs and gas monotube shock absorbers. The Soul generally receives acceptable marks for ride quality, with stability in the turns despite some noticeable body lean in the corners. The Sport trim comes with a sport-tuned suspension, which, according to some, offers a stiffer, although still comfortable, ride. The Sport trim also provides the biggest tires of the group, with 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels matching those found on the Soul !. The Soul + drives on standard 16-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, while the Base comes with 15-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers.

Outside, every Soul features chrome accents on the grille and a rear windshield wiper for the liftgate. The Sport adds unique front and rear fascia with side sills, standard foglights (also standard in the ! and available for the + with the power sunroof), and a standard liftgate spoiler (an optional wing-type spoiler is available for the + and !). The ! delivers a standard power sunroof, an option for the Sport, and both high-end trims provide power heated side-mirrors (the + offers power side-mirrors, and the Base has remote mirrors).

Inside, the 2011 Soul seats five with black interior trim cloth on the Base seats, while the + adds the Soul logo to the seats. The ! switches to a sand-and-black interior trim color scheme with houndstooth detail. The Sport adds a dose of zip to the interior, with a black-and-red interior color scheme and metal pedals. An optional Premium Package can add heated leather seats to the ! or Sport. Most find that the seats are comfortable, reasonably supportive, and that the cabin feels spacious for adults, although the rear seat is a bit tight for three adults to sit comfortably, and there is no rear center armrest. All Soul rear seats fold (although not flat) in a 60/40 split to provide 53.4 cubic feet of storage for cargo in the back (and roughly 24 cubic feet when the seats are up)—less than the competitive Scion xB. The actual utility of the space is questionable as well, since reviews note that the hatch opening is not large enough to load large objects. Other storage is available, however, in any number of ways, including the bin above the instrument panel, a two-level glovebox and, in the +, !, and Sport, a center armrest with storage. The +, !, and Sport also feature metal finish trim on the instrument panel, door panels, and interior door handles, as well as a standard driver’s six-way adjustable seat. Although most reviews do not consider the interior plastic to look cheap, some do note a lack of padding, even on the armrests.

Standard technology is a strong suit for the Kia Soul, especially for its price range. The Base trim offers standard AM/FM/CD/MP3/SAT audio with four speakers. The + upgrades to six speakers and instrument-panel-mounted tweeters. The ! and Sport take another step up the audio ladder with 8 speakers, including a center speaker, subwoofer, 315-watt external amplifier, and front-door speaker lights that can stay on, turn off, dim to a “mood” setting, or match the beat of the music (available as the Audio Upgrade Package for the +). All trims come with standard USB/auxiliary input jacks, air conditioning, and power windows and locks. All but the Base include cruise control (with audio and cruise controls on the steering wheel), remote keyless entry, and Bluetooth technology for hands-free phone (also with steering-wheel-mounted controls). Reviewers seem to be impressed by the features in the Soul, such as the steering-wheel-mounted controls for audio, cruise, and hands-free cell, which are not usually found at this price. The Base and + offer Sirius satellite radio with a three-month trial subscription.

Safety features for the Kia Soul—a Top Safety Pick for 2010 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)—include standard antilock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, electronic stability control, and traction control, combined with a tire pressure monitoring system and six airbags. The 2010 Soul rated five (out of five) stars from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration for frontal crashes and driver’s side, side impact crashes (four for side rear passenger impacts and rollovers). The IIHS rated the Soul Good—its highest rating—in front, side, and rollover crashes. Given its carryover status, there is no reason to believe that the 2011 model should perform any differently.

For those looking for power and driving excitement, the Kia Soul probably will not be your first choice. An urban-chic auto definitely targeting the younger crowd, the 2011 Soul offers plenty of space for people (although not for cargo), a nice list of technology and safety features (especially given the affordable pricetag), and an engine that will give you adequate power for around town, if not for highway acceleration. The 2011 Soul is definitely a wild boar more suited to the city diner with your friends after a night on the town than to rugged or performance driving.