Ranked #297 car in the UK · Crossover SUV · 1 units sold last year
Kia Soul
The Kia Soul (now electric-only in the UK as the e-Soul) is the boxy, characterful compact crossover - a tall, funky-looking EV with a roomy, upright cabin and Kia's reassuring long warranty. Distinctive styling and a practical, space-efficient body make it stand out from the conformist crowd. Range and charging are competitive for the class, and as a quirky, well-warrantied used electric crossover, it's an individual alternative to the obvious small EVs.
How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.
- Body
- Crossover SUV
- Years
- 2018–2026
- Fuel
- Electric
- Efficiency
- 3.8 mi/kWh
- Insurance
- Group 17
typical
The short version
The Kia Soul holds its value about averagely and costs about average to run. Its MOT-based reliability is excellent — an MOT score of 82/100, ahead of 38% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 35% of models. The main things to check on a used one are the suspension.
Pick your version
Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.
Fuel
Electric
Power
204 ps
Drivetrain
FWD
Efficiency
3.8 mi/kWh
The volume used Soul EV (2019-2024). 64 kWh, 204 PS FWD, ~280 mi WLTP. Heat pump standard. Boxy, characterful, surprisingly good range for the era.
Tell us about the one you're looking at
Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.
Remembered as you browse other cars.
Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.
Estimated market value
How we got this number — click for the breakdown, or to challenge it.£17,400
Range £14,200 – £20,850
medium confidence
Fair value — depreciation is moderating.
At 22,017 miles it’s about the ~23,477 typical for a 3-year-old.
Seen one for sale?
A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.
The depreciation curve
How a 2023-registration Kia Soul loses value over time.
What it costs to own
Based on the 2023 car with 22,017 miles you entered above — worth about £17,400 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 7,339 miles a year.
5-year total
£15,211
Per year
£3,042
All-in per mile
£0.41
Fuel per mile
7.1p
Best age to buy — around 2 years
A 2-year-old example loses roughly £3,300 a year — 63% less than the £9,000 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.
Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.
How it compares
Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.
Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.
Estimated insurance
Group 17 of 50 (mid — around the UK average) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB
Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.
Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39
£636/ year
Roughly £53 per month
Typical
Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.| Age band | Lower risk | Typical | Higher risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 17-25 | £1,449 | £1,811 | £2,355 |
| Age 26-32 | £756 | £890 | £1,085 |
| Age 33-39Selected | £559 | £636 | £750 |
| Age 40-49 | £475 | £527 | £612 |
| Age 50+ | £423 | £470 | £555 |
How we estimate this
Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.
Expected annual costs
Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).
Routine service
£185
Annual main-dealer service
Major service
£210
Every 2 years, annualised
Road tax
£200
Standard rate, post year-one
Electricity
£521
3.8 mi/kWh, 27p blended
Insurance
£636
Age 33-39, group 17
Clean-air zones
⚠ Depends on variantBased on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.
Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).
Unexpected costs
What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.
0-30k miles
£80
per year · low risk
30-60k miles
£240
per year · low risk
60-100k miles
£520
per year · medium risk
100k+ miles
£900
per year · high risk
Tyres
205/60 R16 · 215/55 R17 · 225/45 R18
What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.
Budget
£300
set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre
Mid-range
£440
set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre
Premium
£620
set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre
What to fit
Optional extras worth paying for
Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.
| Option | New cost | Added used value | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it. | £650 | £450 | 69% |
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns. | £500 | £300 | 60% |
Heated seats / cold-weather pack | £450 | £200 | 44% |
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk. | £600 | £200 | 33% |
Panoramic / opening roof | £1,100 | £350 | 32% |
Larger alloy wheels | £700 | £200 | 29% |
What fails at MOT
Recorded in DVSA MOT test data for this model, not owner reports. Ordered against 22,017 miles.
Watch now
Failure typically happens around your current mileage.
Upcoming
Typically happens at a higher mileage than yours.
Already due
Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.
SuspensionUpcoming
Recorded in 16.6% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 320,982 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
BrakesUpcoming
Recorded in 10.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 320,982 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
Tyres & wheelsUpcoming
Recorded in 6.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 320,982 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
Lighting & signallingUpcoming
Recorded in 6.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 320,982 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
Driver's viewUpcoming
Recorded in 3.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 320,982 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
Identification & otherUpcoming
Recorded in 1.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 320,982 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.
MOT outlook
How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 328,367 real DVSA test records.
MOT pass rate by age
A 3-year-old Soul passes its MOT 87.8% of the time; by 17 years that has slipped to 67.2%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.
Longevity
From 2,046 vehicles registered in 2018.
Survival by registration year
Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.
What’s on the road
The fuel-type split of every Soul with MOT history in the DVSA record. From 29,431 vehicles tested at least once - not the number on the road today, which is lower.
- Diesel 57.2%
- Petrol 27.4%
- Electric 15.1%
What fails at the first MOT
The defect categories a Soul registered 2018–2023 fails on at its first MOT, from 5,904 first tests. Every car here is the same age and the same generation, so these are the faults that show up first - not the wear a high-mileage older example collects.
- Tyres & wheels3.8%
- Driver's view1.3%
- Brakes0.8%
- Lighting & signalling0.5%
- Steering0.2%
- Seat belts & restraints0.1%
Share of first MOT tests recording at least one defect in that category. DVSA test-item categories, not parts: “Driver’s view” covers mirrors, wipers and glass.
Typical mileage by age
The average odometer reading for a Soul at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.
- 3 yr23,477
- 4 yr30,764
- 5 yr37,918
- 6 yr44,875
- 7 yr51,605
- 8 yr58,561
- 9 yr65,193
- 10 yr71,382
- 11 yr77,296
- 12 yr83,436
- 13 yr89,031
- 14 yr94,247
Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.
Reliability
Excellent
First-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2018 onward (5,904 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence.
MOT outlook · age 5 years
38th percentile — Below catalogue average
Based on 31,887 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data
Where this car sits in the catalogue
Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models
Things owners say
- 01The boxy body gives a roomy, upright cabin and good visibility - practical and distinctive.
- 02Range is competitive for the class; charging is solid - plan longer trips around real-world figures.
- 03Kia's long transferable warranty is a strong used-buy reassurance - check it still applies.
Safety recalls
Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Kia Soul, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.
Check on GOV.UKOpens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.
Theft risk
A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.
Whole-car theft
Higher
Desirable SUVs like this are relay-theft targets — keyless entry can be exploited from the driveway in under a minute.
Parts theft
Lower
As an electric car it has no catalytic converter, so the most common parts-theft vector doesn't apply.
Worth doing
- Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
- A visible steering lock is a cheap, strong deterrent on a frequently-targeted car.
Clean-air zones
Whether driving a Kia Soul into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.
Charging zones for cars
| City | Area | Daily charge | Likely outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | All of Greater London (within the M25) | £12.50 | Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere. |
| Birmingham | Inside the A4540 Middleway | £8.00 | Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere. |
| Bristol | City centre and part of the Portway | £9.00 | Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere. |
| Glasgow | City centre | — | Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere. |
| Edinburgh | City centre | — | Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere. |
| Aberdeen | City centre | — | Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere. |
| Dundee | City centre | — | Likely exempt Battery-electric — exempt everywhere. |
Zones that don't charge private cars
- Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
- Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
- Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
- Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
- Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).
Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.
EV reality check
Winter range estimates assume ~5°C ambient with cabin heating; figures from manufacturer cold-weather testing where available, otherwise derived as a fraction of WLTP. DC times are manufacturer-claimed 10–80% on the headline charger; real-world sessions on UK rapids can be slower. Charging cost is a full battery at the home/blended electricity rate; public rapid charging costs more.
UK charging network
119,080 public chargers across the UK
As of 2026-04-01, the UK has 119,080 publicly available EV chargers, up 12.6% on the prior year (13,281 added in 2025). 23% of those are rapid (50 kW+) or ultra-rapid (150 kW+), so the network can support both home and on-route charging.
3-8 kW
50%
Standard
8-50 kW
27%
Standard plus
50-150 kW
12%
Rapid
150 kW+
11%
Ultra-rapid
Source: Department for Transport / Zapmap · Released 2026-05-21 · DfT statistics
Servicing & the dealer network
How well-supported Kia is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.
Franchised UK dealers
~190
Large network
Mass-market
Network size relative to the UK's largest (Kia is 4.2% of all franchised outlets)
Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.
For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.
Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.
Dimensions & weight
These are segment estimates, not manufacturer figures. 296 of 325 catalogued cars share one of 14 identical dimension sets, so they describe a class rather than this particular car. Sourced figures replace them model by model.
Length
4,350 mm
Width
1,810 mm
Height
1,560 mm
Kerb weight
1,400 kg
Boot
420–1,300 L
Fuel tank
48 L
How many are still out there
How the UK Kia Soul fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.
Total ever registered
26,093
Currently taxed & on road
24,286
93% of all registered
SORN (off road)
777
3% of all registered
Scrapped or exported
1,030
UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025
-2.9% vs 2024Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 1 Oct 2026
Similar cars
Other crossover SUV models worth looking at
Common questions
Kia Soul, answered from the data
- Is the Kia Soul reliable?
- The Kia Soul scores 82/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 38% of the cars we track. That score uses first-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2018 onward (5,904 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence. The main things to check on a used one are the suspension.
- How much does a used Kia Soul cost?
- A 2023 Kia Soul with around 22,017 miles is worth roughly £17,400 today (typical range £15,250–£19,550). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
- How quickly does the Kia Soul depreciate?
- A new Kia Soul typically loses about 45% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
- What insurance group is the Kia Soul?
- The Kia Soul sits in insurance group 17 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
- What goes wrong on a used Kia Soul?
- The parts most often recorded at MOT on the Kia Soul are: suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
- What does the Kia Soul cost to run?
- Expect around 46 mpg combined on the Soul EV Explore 64 kWh, £200 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
- Is the Kia Soul ULEZ compliant?
- The Kia Soul is pure-electric, so it is exempt from the London ULEZ charge and every other UK clean-air zone, whatever the registration year.
- How many Kia Souls are on UK roads?
- About 24,286 Kia Souls are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.
Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.