If you’re thinking about buying a new or pre-owned Kia Soul, you’re probably considering its performance and features. However, it’s critical to also think about the safety rating on this car to ensure it’s one you can trust to perform well on the road.
How safe is the 2020 Kia Soul?
The 2020 Kia Soul received a four-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and an overall “Good” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, its highest score. Combined with a 4.62 owner star rating and a 4.6/5 expert review star rating at Vehicle History, those are good results.
It’s important to know these stats, but they don’t always tell the whole story when it comes to the overall safety and performance of the vehicle. Luckily, we’ll break down the rest of the results to find out what’s truly safe about the Kia Soul.
2020 Kai Soul Crash Test Ratings
There are a lot of factors to think about when buying a vehicle, and safety is one of the most important. When it comes to determining safety, crash tests are ideal because they simulate accidents in a variety of directions, providing usable information about what could happen.
2020 Kia Soul Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Results
The IIHS has interesting notes about the safety of the 2020 Kia Soul. It gave this vehicle a “Good” score (the highest available) in all areas of crashworthiness. That includes roof, side and head restraint protection. That also includes the risk of overlap in the front.
However, some of the trim options received a “Poor” rating for the headlights on this vehicle. These are on optional upgraded headlights offered by the company. On other crash avoidance and mitigation resources, the vehicle received a “Superior” rating.
2020 Kia Soul National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Safety Results
The NHTSA only gave the Kia Soul four out of five possible stars for safety in its overall rating. The key in this is the front passenger side rating, which was lower. In a frontal crash, the front passenger side appears to have less-than-ideal ability to protect people in that position.
Also notable is the four out of five-star rating for rollovers. This test looks at how likely it is that the vehicle will roll in an accident, which is a very dangerous risk. The dynamic tip result resulted in no rolling. However, the NHTSA still gave this vehicle a rollover risk of 14.7%.
Available Safety Tech on the 2020 Kia Soul
Many vehicle manufacturers are adding more safety into their vehicles in the form of sensors and driver assist features. The same holds true for Kia. These features aim to reduce the risk to drivers when high-risk situations occur. Here are some of the options on the 2020 model.
Auto emergency braking and warning: This type of technology applies the brakes for the driver if there is a risk of collision. This automatically occurs, reducing the risk of collisions.
Lane-keeping assist: This tech option allows the vehicle to sense when the driver is moving out of his or her lane without the turn signal on. It causes the steering wheel to vibrate, helping the driver to react to move the car into the proper lane.
Lane change assist: You can count on this feature to help you change lanes, as it works to ensure no one is in the lane you’re moving into at a position that puts you at risk for an accident.
Rear cross-traffic collision assist: If you’re backing out of a spot, you want to know if there’s a car coming, so you can quickly stop. This tech feature detects traffic moving behind the car and warns you to prevent accidents.
Blind spot collision warning: This component gives you a signal when there is someone in your blind spot – the area where you cannot see who is next to and behind you on the roadway. This can help you make safer lane changes.
Driver attention warning: Sometimes, drivers get distracted. When the vehicle notices swerving or frequent movements outside of the lane, it reacts by issuing a driver warning. This aims to help you pay closer attention.
Here’s What People Also Ask about the Kia Soul
To help you get all of your questions answered, we’re answering some of the most commonly asked questions about the Kia Soul here.
Is the 2020 Kia Soul a good car?
There are a lot of key features to consider here, but overall, it has good marks for safety and performance. Drivers do note that some of the extra trim options and features may not always be worth the upgrade, but the engine is solid.
Does the Kia Soul have a lot of problems?
That is a careful question to ask. Be sure to consider the specific year you’re buying, but overall the Soul has some reported electrical problems, engine concerns, and problems with the brakes. Some notes include vehicle speed control concerns in some models.
How long do Kia Soul vehicles usually last?
With good maintenance and routine repair, the Kia Soul can last between 150,000 and 200,000 miles. This doesn’t mean it will not need some upgrades and part replacement, but many drivers will find it is an overall good option when it comes to driving life span.
Are there recalls on the 2020 Kia Soul?
As of November 2020, there are no recalls on or investigations into the 2020 Kia Soul. Be sure to check other model years before making a buying decision. However, there are a number of owner complaints. This includes complaints about the engine, powertrain, brakes, and electrical system. You’ll want to check those out.
Should you buy a 2020 Kia Soul?
When it comes to how safe the Kia Soul is, it has the features and specs to perform well. The key is to ensure you’re using those driver safety features and that you choose the right model year to invest in overall.
Get even more information by checking out the 2020 Kia Soul’s Vehicle History.
