Ranked #95 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.

Kia Soul
Photo: Kevauto via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Body
Crossover SUV
Years
2018–2026
Fuel
Electric
Economy
46 mpg

combined

Insurance
Group 17

The short version

40/100

Forecourt score

Value 43 · Reliability 21 · Insurance 71

The Kia Soul holds its value about averagely and is cheaper to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is average, 65 out of 100, ahead of 21% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 43% of models. The main things to check on a used one are the suspension.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20). Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

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

2023
20182026
22,017 mi
0Expected: 22,017180k
good
PoorFairGoodExcellent

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.

£17,300

Range £14,150£20,750

medium confidence

When new (2023)£30,000Age-based value£18,900Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£18Market calibration-£432Forecourt price£18,450Private sale£16,150Part-exchange£14,200
Holdthis 3-year-old

Fair value — depreciation is moderating.

At 22,017 miles it’s about the ~23,462 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

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 22,017 miles you entered above — worth about £17,300 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 7,339 miles a year.

5-year total

£15,757

Per year

£3,151

All-in per mile

£0.43

Fuel per mile

15.1p

Depreciation£2,999
Fuel / energy£5,558
Servicing£1,765
Road tax£975
Insurance£4,460

Best age to buy — around 4 years

A 4-year-old example loses roughly £2,050 a year — under half the £6,300 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.

Holds its valuebetter than 43%
Reliabilitybetter than 21%
Fuel economybetter than 59%
Cheap to insurebetter than 71%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

Petrol

The default choice: lowest purchase price and easy upkeep, at the cost of higher fuel bills than a hybrid.

New price
£28,000
Annual fuel / energy
£1,142
3-yr depreciation
45%

Watch for

  • ·Carbon build-up on direct-injection engines
  • ·Ignition coils and spark plugs with age
  • ·Cam or wet-belt service where fitted

Diesel

Makes sense for high motorway mileage; less so for short urban hops, where the DPF struggles.

New price
£29,950
Annual fuel / energy
£1,128
3-yr depreciation
48%

Watch for

  • ·DPF clogging on mostly-short journeys
  • ·EGR valve and turbo wear with mileage
  • ·AdBlue system upkeep on newer engines

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 22/06/2026) · Petrol 153.3p/L, Diesel 172.5p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

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.

3 years
0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+
Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£892/ year

Roughly £74 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.
Age bandLower riskTypicalHigher risk
Age 17-25£2,034£2,542£3,305
Age 26-32£1,061£1,249£1,524
Age 33-39Selected£785£892£1,053
Age 40-49£666£740£859
Age 50+£594£660£779

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).

7,339 mi/yr
2,000UK avg for this model: 7,33930,000

Routine service

£185

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£210

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£195

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£521

46 mpg, £1.49/L

Insurance

£892

Age 33-39, group 17

Clean-air zones

Depends on variant

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,003 / year

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.

OptionNew costAdded used valueReturn

Tow bar (factory-fit)

Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.

£650£45069%

Parking sensors & reversing camera

Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.

£500£30060%

Heated seats / cold-weather pack

£450£20044%

Metallic or premium paint

Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.

£600£20033%

Panoramic / opening roof

£1,100£35032%

Larger alloy wheels

£700£20029%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 22,017 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450high severityParts high

Recorded in 16.6% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 320,982 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 10.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 320,982 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 6.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 320,982 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120medium severityParts high

Recorded in 6.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 320,982 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 3.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 320,982 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Identification & otherUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £20-£150low severityParts high

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 327,197 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 66.4%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

1%of 17-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 2,951 vehicles registered in 2009.

Survival by registration year

25%50%75%100%20092024

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 currently MOT’d in the UK. From 29,432 vehicles.

  • Diesel 57.2%
  • Petrol 27.3%
  • Electric 15.1%

Common MOT failures by mileage

The defect categories this Soul fails on most often, and how the failure rate climbs as the miles add up — from the same DVSA test records.

Category0-30k30-60k60-100k100k+
Suspension3%11%17%
Brakes2%4%7%10%
Tyres & wheels3%5%6%7%
Lighting & signalling1%2%4%7%
Driver's view2%2%3%4%
Identification & other1%2%

Share of MOT tests in each mileage band with at least one defect in that category. The peak band for each is highlighted.

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.

  • 0 yr8,692
  • 1 yr17,561
  • 2 yr22,673
  • 3 yr23,462
  • 4 yr30,748
  • 5 yr37,873
  • 6 yr44,842
  • 7 yr51,560
  • 8 yr58,726
  • 9 yr65,288
  • 10 yr71,446
  • 11 yr77,418

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records (ages with at least 10 tests shown).

Reliability

65/ 100

Average

Composite of MOT pass rate, defect prevalence and cohort survival from 320,982 tests — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

84%first-time pass rate

38th percentileBelow catalogue average

Based on 31,887 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

0%50%90%

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.UK

Opens 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

CityAreaDaily chargeLikely outcome
LondonAll of Greater London (within the M25)£12.50
Likely exempt
Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
BirminghamInside the A4540 Middleway£8.00
Likely exempt
Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
BristolCity centre and part of the Portway£9.00
Likely exempt
Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
GlasgowCity centre
Likely exempt
Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
EdinburghCity centre
Likely exempt
Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
AberdeenCity centre
Likely exempt
Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.
DundeeCity centre
Likely exempt
Battery-electric — exempt everywhere.

Zones that don't charge private cars

  • BathCity centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
  • BradfordOuter ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
  • SheffieldInside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
  • Newcastle & GatesheadCity centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
  • PortsmouthPart 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.

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

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

Of every Kia Soul ever registered in the UK, this is what's actively on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, or gone for good.

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 2024
15,87324,286

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 1 Jul 2026

Common questions

Kia Soul, answered

Is the Kia Soul ULEZ compliant?
Whether a Kia Soul is ULEZ compliant depends on its engine and registration date: petrol from 2006 and diesel from September 2015 generally qualify, and electric versions are always exempt.
What insurance group is the Kia Soul in?
The Kia Soul sits in insurance group 17 of 50. Your actual premium still depends on age, postcode, annual mileage and no-claims history.
Is the Kia Soul reliable?
Our reliability score for the Kia Soul is 65 out of 100 (about average), derived from DVSA MOT records, with a first-time MOT pass rate of about 84% at the reference age.
What economy does the Kia Soul get?
Expect roughly around 46 mpg combined for a typical Kia Soul, based on official figures and our running-cost model. Real-world figures vary with driving style, load and conditions.
What are the common problems on the Kia Soul?
On the Kia Soul, the issues that come up most by mileage include Suspension, Brakes and Tyres & wheels. The section above breaks down each one with its typical mileage, repair cost and severity.
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.

Common questions

Kia Soul, answered from the data

Is the Kia Soul reliable?
The Kia Soul scores 65/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 38% of the cars we track. That is computed from 327,197 real DVSA MOT test results. 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 £17,300 today (typical range £15,150–£19,450). 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 37% 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 most common age-related issues we track for 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, £195 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.

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.

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