The South Koreans from Kia released new details about the 2012 model year Soul, a model which just entered the British market with a starting price of £12,495 for the basic model. At the exterior, the revised Kia Soul offers redesigned front optical blocks, front and rear bumpers but also new alloy wheels and updated rear lights.
![2012 Kia Soul](https://www.automotorblog.com/storage/2011/10/2012-Kia-Soul-11.jpg)
However, the most important improvements can be seen under the bonnet where the South Koreans provide a new 1.6-liter petrol unit offering 138 horsepower and a combined fuel economy of 44,1mpg UK. The new petrol engine uses direct-injection and it’s slightly powerful than the outgoing unit.
![2012 Kia Soul](https://www.automotorblog.com/storage/2011/10/2012-Kia-Soul-12.jpg)
The extra power allows the model to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 10 seconds while the CO2 emissions remain at 149 g/km. Kia also introduced a reworked 1.6-liter CRDi engine able to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 10,3 seconds and offer a fuel economy of 57,6mpg UK.
The CRDi unit comes with a six-speed manual transmission and is able to keep the CO2 emissions at 129 g/km. The top of the range model benefits from the new diesel unit and the Quantum trim level reaching a price tag of £17,795.
![2012 Kia Soul](https://www.automotorblog.com/storage/2011/10/2012-Kia-Soul-13.jpg)
“Kia’s innovative and hugely successful urban crossover, the Soul, has been refreshed from top to bottom for the 2012 model year,” adds the company.