To be honest, when we received Korea's newest box car, the Kia Soul, in the Top Speed press fleet my feelings were far from joy, the Kia Soul concept was such a cool idea, so it was a shame when the Asian automaker left out a few things: like the roof mounted CD player, in dash computer and storage compartment in the rear hatch. However, that was the concept, an example intended to generate the most buzz and attract the most interest possible. Concepts almost never translate directly into a production model, and Soul was no different.

After all, our Soul kept the same body lines that were attractive on the concept, and look even better in real life. The Soul truly is like nothing you will see on the road. The designers at Kia have managed to blends a playful exterior with a little bit of aggressive attitude.

You have to get behind the wheel in order to fully appreciate the Soul. The seats are wrapped in a funky design, the driving position is comfortable, the large windshield makes for a spacious cabin, the car handles great and the sound system is fantastic. However, it wasn’t until I found the switch to activate the speaker lights that Soul truly won me over.

After only a day of driving I now understand what those hamsters in the commercial were so happy about.

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