Kia fans wanted more power under the hood of the current generation Soul. The 2017 Soul Exclaim comes to fulfill that dream with 40 more horsepower and 45 more lb.-ft.

Though the 1.6-liter turbo engine adds 40 horsepower, fuel economy is 28 miles-per-gallon, city and highway combined. This is slightly better than the combined mileage of the 2.0-liter normally-aspirated 161-hp engine in the Soul Plus and in the Soul Base 1.6-liter, which produces 130 horsepower.

The Soul Exclaim also benefits from the addition of a new 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT).

In addition to the turbo engine, the Exclaim includes specialized trim and sportier features, including: exclusive 18-inch wheels, red-accented body trim; chrome grille surround, unique Soul tailgate badge, and, for the first time on Soul, dual chrome twin-tip exhaust.

The Exclaim also gets a standard leather-wrapped, D-shaped steering wheel, pushbutton start with smart key and UVO32 with e-Services with integrated Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A 315-watt Harman Kardon premium audio system with eight speakers, including a center channel and subwoofer, navigation and 8-inch touchscreen display is also available. 


Other new options for the 2017 model year are convenience systems such as Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Blind Spot Detection are also available.

The 2017 Soul is available in three trim levels: Base with manual or automatic 6-speed transmission; Soul Plus with the 6-speed automatic; and the Exclaim turbo with the new 7-speed DCT. There are also two new exterior colors.