The Kia soul is dead. Here’s How the Internet Does It – Jalopnik

The Kia Soul wasn’t one of the fastest or most exciting cars on the roads in recent years, but it was certainly one of the most affordable. Reliable, cheap cars are worth celebrating, especially cheap cars that aren’t completely characterless, and – love it or hate it – the Soul certainly had character. So now that the day in the sun is over, we wanted to see how people reacted to the news. Is it time for the Soul to go, are people sad, or do they even care?

In addition to seeking out comments and comments from Soul enthusiasts, we thought it was worthwhile to see more notable figures in the car community taking in the news. Doug DeMuro thought the demise of the Soul was important enough to talk about This car pod!where he highlights how the Kia Soul was once the best-selling model within the Korean carmaker’s range. That a quirky box-shaped compact camera performed so strongly may surprise some, but it’s completely true.

In the sixteen years that the Soul has been in production, more than 1.5 million units have been sold in North America alone. Doug also noted how the Soul’s demise represents a shift in Kia’s direction. For years, Kia as a brand was associated with cheap and cheerful offerings, but the brand has since evolved into a more serious car manufacturer, with a few well-developed SUVs, such as the Sportage and Telluride, the latter of which we drove and reviewed last year. These later releases are no longer presented as budget-friendly alternatives to models from more established brands, but as true rivals.

Doug DeMuro wasn’t exactly upset that the Soul is gone, but he did acknowledge the important role it played in shaping and securing Kia’s current position in the market. There are others who find the news a little harder to stomach, such as members of the Kia Soul owners group on Facebook. Several users expressed how sad they were to see it go, while many simply took the opportunity to express how wonderfully reliable and efficient their Souls had been.

Likewise, some fans did too Reddit to express their sadness and disappointment, while also looking for a reason why. One of them said that Kia no longer produces a vehicle that meets their needs. While the Seltos are comparable, it has an MSRP over $4,000 higher, returns less MPG, and – in their eyes at least – doesn’t bring anything else to the party. Last year, Consumer Reports compiled a report of the least satisfying cars to own, and the Seltos topped that list as one of the worst, with only 45% of owners willing to repurchase. In contrast, owners of the Soul always just seemed to fall in love with it.

YouTuber Christopher Pearcewho reports on snippets of car news, seemed happy to see the Soul being discontinued. He acknowledged the model’s importance in Kia’s history, but also acknowledged the Soul’s declining sales and relevance, while recalling its divisive appearance. This is probably the view shared by most outside the owner and enthusiast circles. It was a great car, but times are changing: it’s better to go out a hero than to overstay your welcome.