Which Kia Soul trim holds its value better?

 By Ané Theron

The quirky Kia Soul disappeared from the South African line-up recently, but that's not to say you can't still find some great deals on used Souls. If you have your heart set on a Soul, which one will have the best resale value? 

 

What exactly is the KIA Soul?

The Kia Soul, which first came to SA soil in 2009, is a practical, spacious and well-equipped, albeit left-field car/crossover-type people carrier.  In other words, it manages to serve many purposes at once. A WesBank / SAGMJ Car of the Year semi-finalist in 2015, CAR Magazine also declared it as one of their top choices in their 2016 Best Buys survey in the light crossover/SUV category. 

Available engines

With naturally-aspirated petrol-  and turbocharged diesel-engines ranging from 1.6 to 2.0-litre units, the Soul offers something for everyone. You can have your Soul with a 6-speed manual or automatic gearbox, or a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission in the flagship model. The 1.6-litre diesel models are especially frugal if you're looking for a car that will save you money at the pumps.

Which Soul holds the golden ticket?

We were chatting to one of the salespersons at Kia Hermanus, who says that the Soul 1.6 START Auto wins the the resale-value battle hands down. The Soul 1.6 Start Auto is quite rare, but in very high demand, so if you do have one hiding in your garage, you can be assured of getting a decent price for it. Unless you don't feel like selling your Soul at all...(haha).

Available Kia Souls on AutoTrader

Below is a list of Kia Soul models that you can look for on our website. But if you are looking for our best value Soul, the above-mentioned 1.6 Start Auto, then click here.

• Soul 1.6 START Manual       
• Soul 1.6 START Auto                          
• Soul 1.6 CRDI START Manual (Read about our charity drive in this model for kids with cancer, 7000 Kays in 7 Days)                  
• Soul 2.0 STREET Manual                              
• Soul 1.6 CRDI STREET Manual                   
• Soul 2.0 SMART Auto (Read our review, Soul Mate)                                   
• Soul 1.6 CRDI SMART DCT  (Read my review on this model here, namely Soul Provider)

The one I'd buy for myself..?

My personal favourite in the lineup is the 1.6CRDI START Auto, because of its effective engine/drivetrain combination. Plus, it's really the car to have if you want to save on fuel, with consumption figures hovering at around the 5 - 7.5 litres per 100 km mark on the combined cycle. And, it's sufficiently peppy with 94kW and 260Nm. Click on the link above to read about our 7000 km road-trip in this very model. Being the most affordable diesel model, it's also sure to retain its value well.