<h1>Kia Prices 2014 Soul Lineup, Base Car Starts at $15,495</h1>

Kia redesigned its popular Soul hatchback for 2014, and following the brand’s debut of the latest hamster-filled Soul commercial, it has released full pricing info for the funky five-door. Unlike the new Soul ad, this pricing breakdown won’t include any Lady Gaga music—but feel free to hum along as you read. Back to the issue at hand: The base Soul will start at $15,495, and as before, it comes nicely equipped with standard air conditioning, four-wheel disc brakes, power door locks and mirrors, Bluetooth, satellite radio, and a six-speed manual transmission. The mid-level Soul Plus (+) and Soul Exclaim (!) return, and bring even more features and gizmos geared toward the young and young at heart.

Totally updated inside and out, the Soul’s only real carry-over pieces from the first-generation model are its 1.6- and 2.0-liter engines and transmissions. Fresh styling borrows heavily from the outgoing car, but it’s smartly tailored and modern, while maintaining the nameplate’s signature quirkiness. The interior is equally massaged, and gets nicer materials and more-sophisticated-looking shapes and surfaces. Kia’s new UVO infotainment system is either optional or standard—depending on the options or trim level selected—and even comes bundled with an 8-inch digital gauge cluster when the optional navigation system is ordered. Full pricing below:

Soul Base ($15,495) + $1800 for six-speed automatic transmission; selecting the automatic also adds 16-inch aluminum wheels, cruise control, steering-wheel-mounted audio buttons, and keyless entry.

Soul Plus (+) ($18,995); adds standard automatic transmission, 17-inch aluminum wheels, gloss black grille, and side-mirror turn indicators. Options include the $400 UVO eServices package (backup camera, automatic headlights), a $1400 Audio package (navigation, 8-inch gauge-cluster display, Infinity audio system, automatic climate control), $3000 Primo package (requires the UVO and Audio packages; brings panoramic sunroof, leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, heated front seats, fog lights, push-button start with proximity key). A standalone $400 Eco package cannot be bundled with any of the other three packages; it includes the engine stop-start system, 16-inch aluminum wheels, and low-rolling-resistance tires.

Soul Exclaim (!) ($21,095); adds standard 18-inch aluminum wheels, body-color bumper Dagmars, LED running lights and taillights, power-folding mirrors, UVO eServices, and backup camera. Options include $2600 Sun and Sand package (panoramic sunroof, navigation, 8-inch gauge-cluster display, Infinity audio system, automatic climate control) and the—no kidding—$2500 Whole Shabang package (requires the Sun and Sand package, adds leather seats, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear-outboard seats, and push-button start with proximity key).

Overall, the 2014 Soul costs slightly more than its 2013 counterpart, which enjoyed a $320 less-expensive base price. The new Soul + rings in $1520 more than last year’s manual-equipped +; taking into account the ’14 +’s standard automatic, the price difference between it and last year’s automatic-equipped + is a more-palatable $520. Finally, the Soul ! is $420 dearer than before, but comes with more content.

Compared to its funk-box competition, the 2014 Soul is less expensive and offers more-luxurious options than stuff like the Scion xB, Nissan Juke, and Honda Fit. The stylish Fiat 500L is a segment newcomer that most closely matches the Soul in price and mission, but it starts at a much-higher $19,900 and can be optioned well into the mid-$25,000 range. Given how little the Soul’s value proposition has changed, we see no reason why it won’t continue to stuff Kia’s pockets full of dough—and probably hamsters.