2023 Kia Soul facelift: hot-selling Ativa-sized car with 2.0L engine, standard ADAS unveiled

If the Koreans were ever to pick a fight in the Malaysian small-car space, then this updated 2023 Kia Soul would be the one that could give our Perodua Ativa a run for the money.

Two things draw them parallel: their dimensions, and how no single unit can sit still on the showroom floor for very long. 75,000 units of the Soul found new owners in the USA last year alone.

Also read: Perodua outsells Proton with 20k units in April 2021 – Ativa still Malaysia’s SUV King

The 2023 update to the Soul then serves to add a little dash of pepper to what's already an obviously well-loved recipe. On the outside is a reworked front fascia, with new daytime running lights (DRLs), LED headlights, and new fog lights.

Along the sides are a set of snazzy 17- and 18-inch wheels, neatly leading to a redesigned rear end. Complementing these are new colours, which include a pair of two-tone options: Clear White with Fusion Black roof, and Surf Blue with a Fusion Black roof as seen here.

Also read: Review: 2021 Perodua Ativa AV – The new Malaysian highway king

Inside, a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen is now standard, and so is ADAS too. Every variant now gets these:

• Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA)
• Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
• Lane Following Assist (LFA)
• Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
• High Beam Assist (HBA)
• Rear Occupant Alert

All good and all, but the full-fat GT-Line Technology Package further ups the ante with lots more stuff: it gets a Harman/Kardon premium audio system (with external amplifier, subwoofer, and tweeter), LED lights on the speaker, and heated front seats.

Also read: Pros and Cons: 2021 Perodua Ativa – Impressive features, but can't escape vibration

Powering all variants of the 2023 Kia Soul is a 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated engine, good for 149 PS and 178 Nm of torque, exclusively mated to a CVT-type automatic transmission.