Kia Soul Ground Clearance: What To Know
2020 Kia Soul by Kevauto — CC BY-SA 4.0
Ground clearance is an essential consideration for many drivers when shopping for their next vehicle. Some drivers want to be able to take their vehicle off-roading for the weekend and need something perfectly capable of climbing over boulders if necessary.
Other drivers might take regular trips to the remote countryside where they must navigate a dirt road or two to reach their destination. Still, more drivers need a car that’s tall enough to make it over the many potholes, speed bumps, and oddly-steep driveways that are so common to the experiences of day-to-day driving.
As a car brand, Kia is known for creating comfortable, affordable, and stylish vehicles spanning a wide range of models designed to fit every lifestyle. The new Kia Soul model is a family-friendly station wagon that defies traditional design principles, delivering a unique silhouette that belies its practicality and accessibility.
And it is the epitome of Kia versatility: buyers can choose between manual transmission, IVT, DCT – and even an all-new, all-electric version of the car. Oh, and the Kia Soul ground clearance is pretty good, too. Let’s get into it.
What is Ground Clearance?
Ride height, or ground clearance, is the space between the lowest part of your car and, well, the ground. The amount of ground clearance your vehicle has is a good indicator of the kinds of roads, driving styles, and conditions it was built for and the type of performance you can expect.
Cars with lower ground clearance will be better at fast-paced driving and cornering and achieve peak performance on smooth, paved roads. (Specialized race cars, such as Formula 1 vehicles, have a ground clearance of about 2 inches to help them hug the track while whipping around curves at 200 MPH.)
Plus, they have a lower center of gravity and are less likely to flip in hazardous conditions. However, a low belly also means they’re more likely to get a little scraped up on a very bumpy road.
Vehicles with higher ground clearance are better at taking the road less traveled. They can easily conquer obstacles like deep potholes, snowy streets, or hilly mountain passes. Some of the more hardcore off-road consumer vehicles have a suspension system and ground clearance (the Range Rover has 11.7 inches!) that, in tandem, have the power to take you, your family, and all their stuff over literal fallen trees.
The Kia Soul sits somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. It’s not a top-speed racer. But its middling height and down-to-earth functionality make it a champion at tackling the challenges of everyday life. And we would be very impressed if you managed to get it through the bottom of a dry river bed.
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All About the Kia Soul Ground Clearance
Kia Soul ground clearance remains the same for each of its seven trim options, which sit about 6.7 inches off the pavement. A roomy interior, 24.2 cubic feet of cargo space (with the seats down), and strut/torsion beam suspension in tandem with the modest ride height make the Soul a great candidate for comfortable carpooling, daily errands, and casual road trips to drive-up camping spots.
Critical Kia consumers are calling on the brand to provide suspension lift kits for the Soul and other SUV and crossover Kia models, saying that better height is needed for safer driving in stormy weather. However, one review from Car and Driver reported that the Soul handles fine in lightly snowy conditions. It is important to note that the Soul isn’t explicitly designed for bad-weather handling, as there are no options to include 4WD.
Car and Driver also rank the Kia Soul as overall third in its category for 2021 (subcompact SUVs), with the Mazda CX-30 and the Hyundai Kona taking first and second, respectively. The Kona and the Soul are neck-in-neck in ground clearance, each at 6.7. And the CX-30 is inches ahead with a 6.9 to 8-inch ride height, depending on the trim you go for. Of these 3, the Soul is the most expensive, starting at $28,825. By contrast, you can have the CX-30 for $22,050 and the Kona for just $20,500.
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Kia Soul Ground Clearance Over the Years
The Kia Soul celebrated its 11th birthday this year, having been presented initially to car consumers worldwide in the year 2010. The original Soul models sat about 6.5 inches off the ground, just below what they are today. In 2014, possibly owing to a change in suspension type, the Soul lost nearly half an inch of ground clearance and rode at around 5.9 inches for six years. 2020 was a year of wild changes and global upheaval, ushering in a new height for the undercarriage of the Soul. The boxy Kia station wagon has a current height of 6.7 inches.
Not one to make waves, the design of the Soul has remained relatively unchanged since 2010. The colors have become a little more muted, the boxiness streamlined, and the face of the vehicle given a not-insignificant uplift. But a “fun and funky” vehicle’s overall aesthetic is the same.
While the Soul also consistently receives B- reliability ratings, some reviewers recommend steering clear of Souls produced between 2012 and 2015, in particular 2014, as these year models had several mechanical issues and were the topic of many posts on CarComplaints.com.
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Where You Can Drive a Kia Soul
The Kia Soul has many cousins in its category that were made for adventures that require a higher-than-average ground clearance. The Soul prefers to take it easy with 6.7 inches and a drivetrain made for city streets. Avoid trails that are more rock than road, and consider something with 4WD if you get a lot of snow where you live. But the Soul is more than happy to take you grocery shopping, pick your kids up from school, and take you over a grassy terrain to your campsite at a summer music festival.
Should You Buy a Kia Soul?
The Kia Soul is one of the more unique offerings from the stable of the South Korean car manufacturer. It features a fun, boxy exterior design that makes the Soul stand out from the crowd. But is it worth investing in a Kia Soul?
While a lot is going on for the Kia Soul, it’s not exactly designed for serious off-roading duties. The Soul’s ground clearance should be enough for minor bumps, dips, and the occasional gravel road. The Kia Soul has a ground clearance of 6.7 inches, which falls short of the recommended 8.8 inches for off-roading activities like overlanding. Its ground clearance is simply on the lower end of the spectrum.
Plus, the Soul doesn’t have the right features and specs to handle rugged trails. For example, the Kia Soul doesn’t have an available all-wheel drive for all its configurations.
Outside of off-roading, there’s much to like about the Kia Soul. Every trim has something for everyone, with features and specs that could appeal to a wide range of budgets. In addition, it has a relatively high-tech cabin, good mileage ratings, and top-notch safety technologies.
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