It’s been a long time since three music-loving hamsters cruised lazily down a boulevard in their Kia Soul. Up until recently, they’d be able to do that in a car that was a genuine hatchback with a tall cabin and a simple 147 hp engine, and without having to spend more than $22k on their wheels. But Kia’s story and marketing positioning appear to be changing. Certainly, the company may still have affordable cars and its electric EV3 is approaching. But its current offerings seem quite a long way from those early rodent-inspired days in terms of positioning, styling, and overall price.
Kia Lost Its Cheapest Car
2025 Kia Soul – front 3/4 angleKia
When the 2025 model year ended, Kia closed a 16-year U.S. run for its lovable Soul. After recording more than 1.5 million domestic sales, the Soul had outlived the Nissan Cube, the Scion xB, and the Honda Element, but it too fell victim to a disappearing segment. In the end, the final Soul LX stickered for $20,490, before destination, taxes, and dealer fees. That meant the Kia Soul was one of the few remaining opportunities to get a car for less than $22,000 delivered.
Each later-model Kia Soul came with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-four producing 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. Power went to the front wheels through the company’s intelligent variable transmission, which was its version of a CVT. Behind the rear seats was 24.2 cubic feet of space, which grew to 62.1 cubic feet if you folded those seats down. And the vehicle measured only 165.2 inches, so it was shorter than many compact sedans.
People tended to love the Soul because it took up little space on the road while still giving buyers that tall roof, an upright seating position, and enough room for bulky items that wouldn’t fit in a conventional sedan’s trunk. But when the Soul finally disappeared, Kia was no longer offering anything else that combined all of those qualities at the same general price.
The Soul Was Declining But It Wasn’t Dead
2025 Kia Soul – luggage spaceKia
Perhaps Kia was justified in shelving the Soul as when it finally pulled the plug, the vehicle was no longer one of its biggest stars. The company recorded 147,133 U.S. sales in 2015, but volume fell to 61,263 in 2023 and decreased further to 52,397 by 2024 and 50,133 in 2025. Kia still had stock left over this year, and by the midpoint of 2026, it had sold 3,480 units. We checked, and there is officially no stock left, so the Soul is well and truly dead. And while more than 50,000 units a year is still not entirely shabby, the Soul was also becoming a victim of market economics.
After all, by the mid-2020s, the Soul was increasingly outdated and belonged to an older formula. It came from a time when manufacturers could make logical decisions based on mechanical simplicity, low pricing, and general practicality. But those OEMs are now dealing with increasing regulation and specific challenges related to safety, emissions, software, manufacturing, and burgeoning certification costs.
Such related expenses are far easier for companies to recover when they’re talking about a $35,000 crossover as compared to one of the least expensive models in the marketplace. Also, the harsh reality was that at the lower end of the market, budget shoppers often choose to buy used. To add to the problem, those people with a little bit more cash to spare were increasingly choosing vehicles like the Sportage, Seltos, or another conventional SUV, rather than a Soul.
The K4 Tries To Address The Price But Not The Package
2026 Kia K4 Hatchback front 3/4Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
In 2026, the Kia K4 Sedan is now the company’s least expensive new vehicle, and as it starts at $22,290 before destination charges, it still offers budget buyers something relatively cheap in their local Kia showroom. The base model has a 2.0-liter inline-four, producing the same 147 hp and 132 lb-ft as the extinct Soul, and it also drives the front wheels through that proprietary CVT. But this entry-level car is still a different machine compared to the Soul. It’s longer, lower, and has a conventional trunk, and it doesn’t have the same upright cargo hold. For many, it’s not as capable, nor is it as short and nimble as the Soul.
The Hatchback version of the K4 may come closer, but it’s not available in the sedan’s cheapest LX trim. The K4 Hatchback range begins with the EX at $24,990 before destination, and that’s quite a significant difference when compared to the final Soul LX, making the K4 Hatchback about 22% more expensive. So, entry-level buyers are now faced with a choice when trying to re-create what they may have loved about the Soul formula. The Sedan is now the one at the bottom of the pricing sheet, but buyers may have to step up to the Hatchback if they want to replace some of the Soul’s practicality.
If customers want something crossover-like, the cheapest Kia that fits the bill is the Seltos, and it starts at $24,990.
The EV3 Should Be Better, But It Won’t Be As Cheap
Kia Journey of Projection EV3 ConceptKia
Perhaps the upcoming Kia EV3 is the closest thing that the company has to a spiritual Soul successor. This one is more upright, compact, unconventional, and all-electric, and is much more advanced compared to the Soul. Certain versions of the EV3 should offer up to 320 miles of estimated range, with fast charging, all-wheel drive, and a vehicle-to-load capability that would be far ahead of anything the gas-powered Soul could ever have offered.
Industry estimates suggest that the EV3 should sell in the low- to mid-$30,000 range. But if you dare to compare that to the original Soul, you’re looking at a budgetary increase of probably 46% or more, if you use $30k as the anchor. Buyers could recover part of that premium through lower energy and maintenance costs, but those savings arrive slowly whereas a higher purchase price hits on day one.
The stark reality is that many people on the first rung of the automotive ladder may find it hard to stretch a loan significantly and wait for operating costs to close the gap, as they struggle to control a monthly payment. Also, some renters may not find it easy to charge an EV3, as they don’t have access to home charging, and public charging availability can complicate matters. So, while the EV3 may turn out to be the better all-around vehicle, it’s difficult to see it as a sentimental Soul replacement.
The Smart Replacement May Be A Used Soul
2024 Kia Soul Front 3/4Kia
Today, there probably won’t be many new 2025 Souls sitting around at Kia dealers, so that leaves a stronger opportunity in the used market. CarBuzz Marketplace suggests that late-model Souls should average around $18,700, depending on trim, mileage, history, certification, and other factors. That will put most of them below the price of a new K4 Sedan, a long way beneath the K4 Hatchback, and many thousands beneath the EV3.
The Soul S is a good example to look for on the used market, as this one adds blind spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic assistance, and other useful equipment. A base LX can also be a sensible choice, especially if it’s fitted with the optional Technology Package. On more recent versions, Kia also fitted an engine immobilizer, and this separates the final cars from the older key-start models that may have been linked to the brand’s occasional theft problem.
Warranty coverage could also come into play. Kia offered a five-year, 60,000-mile basic warranty starting from its original in-service date, but the full 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty applies only to the original owner or qualifying Kia certified pre-owned buyers. Shoppers need to check the details carefully to see if the vehicle retains the entire original term.
Shoppers should also look closely at any candidate vehicle in terms of certification, mileage, service history, and ownership history. While discontinuation won’t make the Soul collectible with associated market pressures, shoppers may still find that a lightly used certified Soul justifies a small premium.
In 2026, Kia doesn’t really offer anything that can completely replicate the identity of its popular Soul. The K4 Sedan still has a relatively low entry price, and the K4 Hatchback restores a liftgate. The EV3 will also bring the upright shape into the electric era, but none of those cars can combine all three favored elements for less than $22k. This means the Kia marketplace choice is quite clear. While Kia decided to remove one of the last cheap, genuinely practical five-door vehicles from the US market, it also declined to offer a real replacement. And for buyers who still want that formula, the answer probably lies in the shape of a 2024 or 2025 Soul, quietly waiting for attention on a used car lot.
Sources: Kia.
