Although it costs more to buy initially, the best Kia Soul running costs for most customers belong to the diesel version.

The GDi petrol model averages a claimed 43mpg while for the CRDi diesel that figure improves to nearly 59mpg.

With a fuel tank of 54 litres that means a theoretical average range of 700 miles for the diesel and 510 miles for the petrol.

The diesel also benefits from lower CO2 emissions (detailed below) which means cheaper VED and company car tax rates.

While it’s not suitable for everyone, the Soul EV produces no CO2 emissions from the car itself, with a full charge giving a theoretical range of 132 miles.

How much it costs to recharge at home will depend on tariffs and time of day, but charging at a public point is essentially free.

The petrol GDi version emits 151g/km of CO2 while the diesel CRDi Soul emits a more tax-friendly 125g/km.

Be aware that CRDi models with the optional automatic transmission suffer from a sizeable jump in CO2 emissions to 158g/km.

Kia Soul emissions are identical for models fitted with 16- and 17-inch wheels but increase for those fitted with 18-inch wheels.

Naturally, the greenest Kia Soul model in terms of emissions is the battery-powered EV with zero ‘tailpipe’ CO2 output.

With a continuation of the previous model’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, it’s safe to say that the Korean manufacturer has every confidence in Kia Soul reliability. Many of its mechanicals are derived from the Kia Ceed hatchback, which itself has a strong reliability record.

The seven-year warranty will apply to the electric Kia Soul EV’s battery too, which is sold as part of the car rather than leased separately as with some electric vehicles by other manufacturers.

As well as being attractive, the interior trim also feels robust and hard-wearing.

The previous Kia Soul was subject to one recall for a potential brake light malfunction, along with five other Kia models.