Road Test: 2014 Kia Soul

Hippity-hoppity hamsters in gangster glasses still come standard in the sublimely square Kia Soul.

You know the hamsters, those urban-hip rodents who sell Souls on TV with six-word hip-hop songs that sound like half-filled trash cans tumbling down a staircase. Their likable little commercials gave the first oddball Soul compact-crossover big credibility in 2009.

The second-generation 2014 Soul got better in a bunch of significant ways -- and it was pretty good to start with, despite its mildly polarizing looks.

Slightly larger with a little smoother body and much better interior, the Soul feels so much more refined than the last-generation model that the hamsters -- and the hipsters -- will need to step it up.

The "inferno red" model I had recently still smirked at the world with big sweptback headlamps, a short, flat hood and a big blacked-out lower grille. The wheel openings seem to have a little more graceful flare to them. The top is still flat as a ranch-house table and drops straight down onto a hatchback flanked by enormous vertical taillamps.

The small wagon's black interior felt much more upscale than last year's model and with the back seats folded down, offers more than 60 cubic feet of space. The textured black dashboard was cast in a classy flat-toned plastic, wrapping around a center stack dominated by a logical 8-inch touch-screen.

My relatively high-end Soul -- $26,195 -- also came equipped with a stout-sounding Infinity stereo that had pulsing lights ringing the round speakers in the doors.

Here's the deal with the Soul, though: You need to overlook the average performance from its optional two-liter, direct-injected four-banger with 164 horsepower.

The Soul's strength is a combination of styling, practicality, ride and reasonable handling, all of which easily trump its main competitor, the unexciting Scion xB.

Tied to a pretty sophisticated six-speed automatic, the four-cylinder engine tends to get fairly vigorous around 2,500 rpm and can push the Soul to 60 in 8.1 seconds. It will also get 23 miles per gallon in town and 31 on the highway.

Surprisingly, considering its front-wheel-drive limitations, the Soul also displayed pretty good grip and balance in long sweeping corners.

The Soul does more things well than badly. And despite its somewhat Zippy the Pinhead clothing, the Soul is a pretty solid citizen.

2014 Kia Soul

Base price: $14,900

Price as tested: $26,195

Engine:2.0-liter four-cylinder with direct injection

Power: 164 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque

EPA fuel economy: 23 miles per gallon city, 31 highway

0 TO 60 MPH: 8.1 seconds

Length: 163 inches

Height: 63 inches

Width: 70.9 inches

Weight: About 3,100 pounds

Cargo capacity: 61.3 cubic feet

Bottom line: Kia improves its cube