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"Not many models can credit their success to anthropomorphic hamsters with an eclectic playlist, but that&amp;#039;s exactly what has happened with the Kia Soul. Kias, for once, are actually kinda cool. Introduced as a 2010 model, the Soul sells almost as well as the Kia Sorento. That would be like the Scion xB landing in the number two spot for Toyota, right after the Camry.   Although the Soul has been on the market for only two years, Kia saw fit to refresh it for 2012. Aesthetic changes include new side mirrors with turn signals, plus a sculpted hood, revised head and taillights and new bumpers. The center vent on the front bumper now shares visual cues with the Optima sedan. Overall length has grown by a smidge, by 0.6 in., but all other dimensions remain. Three trims are available\u2014Soul, Soul+ and Soul! (Soul Sport has been dropped)\u2014of which the premium Soul! comes with projector headlights with LED lighting and LED taillights.    The interior also sees a few tweaks. A tilt and telescoping steering wheel is now standard, as is Vehicle Stability Management, Hill-start Assist Control and additional sound insulation. The center stack and shifter area have been polished, and a new 4.3-in. UVO voice-activated touchscreen system (powered by Microsoft) is now standard on the Soul!, as is a 350-watt 7-speaker Infinity sound system, which is optional on the Soul+.   Kia went beyond cosmetic changes for the Soul&amp;#039;s mid-cycle update. Although the displacements remain the same, both engines have been improved. The new 1.6-liter is now direct injected, producing 138 bhp and 123 lb.-ft. of torque (the same engine in the new 2012 Kia Rio). The older 1.6-liter made 122 bhp and 115 lb.-ft. of torque. The revised 2.0-liter engine (standard on the Soul+ and Soul!) doesn&amp;#039;t receive direct injection, but it does see an increase in oomph\u2014it now makes 164 bhp and 148 lb.-ft. of torque. The 2.0-liter in the previous 2011 Soul produced 142 bhp and 137 lb.-ft. of torque.    Along with power, fuel efficiency has also been enhanced: The 1.6-liter Soul has EPA fuel economy of 27 mpg city/35 mpg highway. The 2.0-liter Soul achieves 26 mpg city/34 mpg highway. There&amp;#039;s a loss of one mpg in each department when compared to the new 1.6-liter, but with 26 bhp more, I fully appreciated driving the 2.0-liter Soul up the Seorak Mountains on the eastern seaboard of South Korea. It&amp;#039;s not exactly a Porsche Turbo S, but it made its way through the hilly portions without problem.   Not all of the efficiency gains were due to engine upgrades; the Kia-built, 6-speed automatic transmission (a manual is available) deserves some of the credit. Shifting was smooth and sharp, a marked improvement over the 4-speed auto in the 2011 Soul. For more savings at the pump, an Eco Package is available for the Soul and Soul+, which swaps the tires for low-rolling resistance ones and includes Kia&amp;#039;s new ISG technology (idle stop-start).   The refreshed 2012 Kia Soul starts at $13,900 for the manual and $15,700 with an automatic transmission.   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a17608/2012-kia-soul/>