38: Kia Soul – Far from perfect but with a real sense of character and fun

The Soul is something of an oddball car, in an Irish context. Kia has essentially designed and engineered it for the American market (and almost specifically for the well-heeled college student market), and only at the last minute bunged in a diesel engine and specced it for Europe.

The result is a bit of a mish-mash. It looks great, and has quite a characterful cabin, and it’s certainly well built, but it has very high CO2 emissions, and its slightly stiff suspension settings make it feel rather rough on broken Irish tarmac.

That said, it’s bursting with character, and frankly makes the new Stonic small crossover (which has been specifically engineered with Europe in mind) look and feel rather . . . wait for it . . . soul-less.

Best model: Only one model available