• Enough space for adults in the rear
• Square dimensions = easy parking
• Boot space is limited

How much space is there?

The Kia Soul EV is basically a box on wheels – and that means it has a surprisingly spacious interior. It’s not quite as roomy inside as a conventionally shaped SUV (such as an MG ZS EV) but there’s enough space for a six-foot passenger to sit behind an equally tall driver. The Soul’s square rear end also provides plenty of headroom for those in the back.

There isn’t quite enough space in the rear for three passengers. The car isn’t quite wide enough, which means shoulder room becomes an issue. However, because there isn’t a hump in the floor, all three passengers have enough space for their legs and feet.

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Space in the front is good and, because the windows are so large, the cabin feels rather airy despite Kia’s liberal application of oppressive black plastic. It would have been better if Kia had picked a brighter interior colour, though.

Boot space and storage

Here’s where the Soul EV stumbles. Its boot measures a mere 315 litres, putting it behind the likes of the MG 4 (363 litres), Volkswagen ID.3 (385 litres) and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric (440 litres). It’s also lightyears behind the 475 litres of space you get in the Kia Niro EV. Even the Renault Zoe (which, let’s not forget, is a dinky city runabout) has a 335-litre boot.

In practice, this means the Kia Soul EV can cope fine with a few shopping bags or weekend luggage for two, but it struggles to carry all the equipment that comes with family life. And family buyers don’t like choosing between carrying their children or carrying the kit required to maintain them.

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Happily, there is some space underneath the adjustable boot floor to store the car’s charging cables. This is good because it means they don’t eat into the Soul’s boot capacity. However, it does mean you’ll need to reach underneath whatever you’ve loaded into the boot when you need to charge up.

Is it easy to park?

Yes! The Soul’s boxy shape makes it easy to judge where the car’s corners are. Every model also comes with parking sensors and a reversing camera – and if you prefer to park the old-fashioned way, it has a pair of large door mirrors, too.

Safety

• Not yet rated by Euro NCAP
• Generous standard safety kit
• Kia has a good safety record

Euro NCAP hasn’t yet crash tested the Kia Soul EV, so we’re not yet sure how it performs against its rivals in Europe. However, the USA-based safety organisation IIHS has crashed the Soul – and its testers rated the car very highly. The previous generation Soul also achieved a four-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.

If you need further justification for the Soul’s safety credentials, take comfort in the knowledge that all Kia’s current cars (except for the Picanto) can achieve five-star safety ratings. However, to reach those five-star ratings, most of the company’s cars must be equipped with an optional safety pack. Without the extra equipment, most Kias score four stars.

The Soul EV has a good range of standard safety equipment. The most basic Urban specification comes with automatic high beams, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and a driver attention warning system as standard. Range-topping Explore cars feature a blind-spot monitoring system and rear-cross traffic alert. All cars have two set of Isofix points in the rear, too.