Growing up, I didn’t even know the Kia brand existed. I only learned about it through a series of now-iconic commercials involving anthropomorphised hamsters driving a car that looked sort of like a hatchback, and sort of like an SUV. That car was, of course, the Kia Soul.
The Soul is inarguably one of Kia’s most important vehicles. Introduced in 2009 for the 2010 model year, it became an immediate hit, appealing to people who wanted the space and shape of a crossover, but with the efficiency and price of a sedan or hatch. By 2015, it was the brand’s best-selling model worldwide, moving over 150,000 units that year in the United States alone.
A lot of the Soul’s success can be attributed to those hamster ads, which thrust the Kia name into the households of hundreds of millions of Americans. The first one, below, presented the car as a standout in a sea of sameness, showing the hamsters driving the Soul and rocking out as the “cool” hamsters, while every other hamster was stuck in place with the same plain hamster wheel. The ad also showed off the Soul’s neat features, like the iPod compatibility and the flashing speakers. It was cute, fun, and, most importantly, appealing to a wide audience.
Later hamster-themed ads got a whole lot weirder. There was this version, which showed hamsters arriving at the front lines of a Sci-Fi battlefield and dancing to LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem to save the day:
And then this one, which showed hamsters preparing for a big day on the red carpet while Lady GaGa’s Applause played in the background:
And who could forget this one, which had the hamsters crashing an opera with a Soul before breaking out in yet another dance to PSY’s Gangnam Style:
The Soul was an incredibly important vehicle for Kia’s growth in the U.S. Don’t take it from me, take it from the guy who runs sales for the brand:
“The Soul was one of the cornerstones in Kia gaining a foothold in the United States and this one-of-a-kind vehicle – and the marketing supporting it – helped Kia move to where it resides today,” said Eric Watson, Vice President, Sales, Kia America. “Kia is steadily progressing towards its third consecutive annual sales record and all-time high market share, and that is possible thanks to the early success carved out by the Soul.
The funky crossover-hatch, along with cars like the Forte and the Optima, revitalised what was, at the time, an aging and weak lineup. In 2009, Kia was selling 327,000 cars a year in the United States. Last year, it knocked on the door of 800,000 units.
Despite the average American buyer’s ever-evolving taste for bigger and heavier cars, the Soul managed to hold its popularity for a staggeringly long time, selling over 100,000 units per year between 2012 and 2018. It was only during and after the COVID-19 pandemic that sales began to fall off. Last year, Kia sold just 52,297 units. Still, Kia sold over 1.5 million units over 16 years and three generations. I’d call that a resounding success.
And now, the Soul is dying. Kia announced on Monday plans to end production of the quirky hatch in October, with 2025 being the car’s final model year. If you want one, there are “just a few thousand units” still sitting at dealer lots, according to the carmaker.
While it’s sad to see the Soul go, this news isn’t entirely surprising. The Soul is built in Korea and imported into the U.S., which means it’s subject to tariff duties. Keeping its base price of $21,935 (including destination) likely would’ve been tough going forward. The current generation car has also been around since 2019, and last received an update in 2023. With sales dwindling, Kia likely decided it was better off ending production than investing money into a new version. The majority of the company’s sales now come from real-deal SUVs and crossovers, anyhow. With the Soul out the door, that leaves the $23,185 K4 sedan (shown below) as Kia’s new cheapest car.
Rest in peace, Kia Soul. You and your dancing hamsters will never be forgotten.
Top graphic images: Kia
Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.
Not that it matters to Kia or anyone else, but I’m going to the JCCS (Japanese Classic Car Show) in Long Beach this weekend, and I emailed my car show pal to see if he has any time/interest in test driving a Soul on the way home with me.
Sadly, the only transmission available on any trim of Kia Soul is the IVT, which is their version of a CVT. I don’t know if it’s any better or worse than the CVTs I’ve experienced in recentish Nissans, Hondas, and Subarus, but of course I’d be happier if you could have your Soul with a traditional automatic or manual.
Kia, now just another soulless automaker, shame…
It’s really a shame I’ve been telling people that are big soul fans since the news broke a few months ago. They are really great little cars for everyone the cvt tuning is done well the quality is there. The original was so well done with so many neat touches. It’s funny in South Korea it’s considered a ladies car by most. But really didn’t have that reputation in the US. The original hounds tooth interior and bold paint colors really suited it. I didn’t really care for the refresh all that much but it’s grown on me and I think there is some increased quality indicative of the kia brand but those originals are out there with 250k still kicking. I wouldn’t be surprised if the k3 replaced the soul. Especially with Hyundai lowering the price of the ionic 5. Still a shame to loose such a great little cheap and cheerful value in an market where practically none exist.
Now that you mention it, I recall being charmed by the houndstooth seats in the first gen Soul, though of course I worried about how it’d get dirty over time.
Man the Kia Borrego, that should be the subject of a Cold Start or something in the future. What a strange footnote in Kia’s history. By all accounts not a bad car, just really poor market timing.
EDIT: Ah shit I forgot Thomas did a “beige cars you’ve been sleeping on” on the Borrego. Time to put that in the glovebox so I don’t forget
And just like that Russian woman who sold her soul for $1,000 or so (and bought a Labubu doll collection), Kia sold off its Soul…
Another car that most people could afford fades away into the sunset.
I know. It’s literally thousands less than a new Sentra.
I had one as a rental car and I guess I’m not surprised – it felt desperately in need of a refresh. The interior felt cheap in a way I haven’t seen in years – my 2013 veloster felt nicer.
2025: The year Americans lost the right to free speech and the Kia Soul, which are obviously of 100% equal importance. 😉
Once had a security job patrolling a large 1,000 acre campus and our patrol vehicles were 1st gen Kia Soul’s with the facelift. Can’t remember model year.
Anyways, we abused those things. Left them running in all weather 24/7 and frequently took them offroading as part of the campus was undeveloped land. Also basically drove no faster than 35 mph their entire life.
I can say a stock Kia Soul does pretty well offroading and can take a beating. We put almost 200,000 miles on those suckers before they retired them. Most frequent issue was the radiator fans failing.
Now the Chevy Cruze’s they got to replace them….
Long live the Kia Soul.
Well, I guess you can’t go with that anymore