2020 Kia Soul Trim Levels with Comparisons & Configurations.

Once upon a time, an SUV was an SUV. Now, this segment of the market has been broken down into subcategories. The 2020 Kia Soul is classified as an extra small SUV, although many people say it looks more like a hatchback or even a subcompact sedan. With its low starting price and long list of standard features, it is sure to attract many consumers.

For 2020, Kia has completely redesigned the Soul. This year marks the beginning of the vehicle's third generation. New for the Soul is the exterior styling as well as the standard engine.

Drivers will have six unique trim levels to research if they are interested in the new Soul. There are two different powertrain options in play as well. The entry-level LX is going to be more than enough for some consumers with its appealing starting price, but others may need to go all the way up to the GT-Line Turbo to get the right option for them. Every trim in between has its own list of pros.

To simplify the buying experience, this guide has been designed to lay out the difference between each trim level. Its goal is to simplify the decision-making process when it comes to the 2020 Kia Soul.

Compare the 2020 Kia Soul LX vs S Trims. What is the difference?

The Kia Soul LX is powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder engine. It produces 147-horsepower as well as 132 lb-ft of torque. Coming standard with this engine is a six-speed manual transmission. Consumers have the option of adding the automatic transmission package that gives the Soul a CVT and standard cruise control. Like all models, the LX is a front-wheel-drive vehicle. There is no all-wheel-drive option available.

This model of the Soul sits on 16" steel wheels. The side mirrors are power-adjustable. Models with the manual transmission get black mirror caps, while CVT models have body-colored ones. As for illumination, the Soul has multi-focus reflector headlights. They have the auto on/off feature.

For the infotainment system, there is a 7" touchscreen. Drivers have their choice between Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for smartphone integration because both come standard. Bluetooth is also included. Drivers will find controls for their phone, music, and cruise on the steering wheel. There is one USB port.

The LX gives drivers rear privacy glass. Passengers can stretch out thanks to the 101 cubic feet of passenger space, which is quite impressive for an extra small SUV. The seating upholstery is woven cloth. For the back, there is a 60/40-split-folding rear seat. The driver's seat has six-way manual adjustment and the passenger's seat has four-way manual adjustment.

One reason buyers may skip over the LX trim is it lacks advanced safety features. The only ones to be found here are a rear vision camera, hill start assist, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Drivers do get more traditional safety features, such as electronic stability control and a vehicle stability management system.

Drivers may decide they are better off going with the S trim. It is powered by the same engine but comes exclusively with the CVT. Wheel size remains 16" but they get upgraded to alloy here. The side mirrors are body-colored. Inside, the seats get upgraded to a premium cloth trim.

The area that the S trim excels in is safety. Going with this trim level adds lane keeping assist, forward collision warning featuring automatic emergency braking, drowsy driver alert, and a blind spot monitor featuring rear cross traffic alert. Otherwise, these two models are identical.

Going from the LX to the S is one of the biggest price jumps when it comes to the 2020 Kia Soul. Families looking for a safe vehicle will likely be willing to pay the extra for the driver aids.

Compare the 2020 Kia Soul S vs GT-Line Trims.  What is the difference?

Drivers next option is the GT-Line. It costs the exact same as the S but emphasizes different things. The GT-Line is powered by the same engine and transmission as the S. For the GT-Line, Kia gave the Soul exclusive 18" wheels. This trim adds fog lights. The entire exterior style is unique to the GT-Line with touches like red and silver accent trims. It has what Kia calls a "hot stamping type" front grille.

Inside, the GT-Line adds a 12-volt power outlet to the cargo area. A cargo cover becomes an available feature. There are also dual center console charging USB ports. The steering wheel is sportier than previous models thanks to its D-shape and leather wrapping. There is also leather on the shift knob. A wireless phone charger becomes available.

Safety features get shaken up a bit here. The GT-Line keeps forward collision avoidance assist, the driver drowsy alert, and lane departure warning. Lane change assist, the blind spot monitor, and rear cross traffic all become optional equipment.

Drivers can add quite a few features by adding the GT-Line Sunroof package. This adds keyless ignition, the blind spot monitor, and the wireless charging pad. Plus, of course, a sunroof.

The GT-Line looks pretty cool but many consumers will prefer the standard safety features of the S trim over the exterior style touches.

Compare the 2020 Kia Soul GT-Line vs X-Line. What is the difference?

Consumers will also want to take a good look at the X-Line trim of the Soul. It also gets 18" wheels, but with a design exclusive for this model. This is the more rugged version of the Soul. Although the X-Line looks like it is more capable of handling the trails, it actually adds no off-roading features. It does have black exterior body trim and silver accents. The mirror caps are silver as well. This trim has exclusive roof rails.

A few features are lost when drivers move to the X-Line from the GT-Line. The sunroof is no longer available and there is no longer the 12-volt power outlet in the cargo area. It goes back to the standard cloth seats found on the entry-level LX trim. The leather-wrapped steering wheel remains, however.

The difference in driving aids is where things get really interesting. The X-Line gets the features that are optional on the GT-Line as standard equipment. This means these models of the Soul have the blind spot monitor, lane change assist, and rear cross traffic feature. The aids that were standard on the GT-Line are not even optional for the X-Line.

Going with the X-Line may give the Soul a unique look, but it seems to take away more than it adds. This makes it hard to justify the bump in price, no matter how small it may be.

Compare the 2020 Kia Soul X-Line vs EX Trims.  What is the difference?

The EX trim moves away from the sportiness and ruggedness of the previous two and moves more toward sophistication. Once again, there is no change to the powertrain. The EX models ride on 17" alloy wheels. There are optional 18" wheels as well. Also optional for this trim is the EX Designer Collection package, which gives the roof a two-tone appearance. The EX also gives drivers the most exterior paint color options, with 11 different choices.

This is the first trim to give drivers heated mirrors. They are body-colored like they were for the S trim. It has the same grille as the GT-Line. Projector beam headlights become standard equipment. Optional for these models are LED fog lights, tail lights, and headlights.

Inside, the 12-volt power outlet makes a comeback. The driver's seat gains 10-way power adjustment including two-way lumbar support adjustment. This trim gains heated front seats and goes back to the premium cloth. The passenger seat does not get an upgrade on any trim level of the Soul. Found inside the EX is dual-zone automatic temperature control with a cluster ionizer. A cargo cover and dual-level cargo board become standard. Once again, the EX trim level offers consumers the most choices with three different interior color schemes to select from.

For the infotainment system, drivers now get an impressive 10.3" touchscreen. HD and satellite radio are now included. This version of the infotainment system also gains voice recognition and navigation as standard equipment. Wireless charging is also now included. The EX trim regains all of the safety aids found on the S trim.

When it comes to convenience, tech, and safety features, the EX trim level is an attractive choice.

Compare the 2020 Kia Soul EX vs GT-Line Turbo.  What is the difference?

Finally, consumers will want to take a look at the GT-Line Turbo trim. This is the only trim level to get its own engine. Powering the GT-Line Turbo is a turbocharged 1.6L four-cylinder that generates 201-horsepower in addition to 195 lb-ft of torque. This engine is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The GT-Line Turbo gets a special sport-tuned suspension and slightly larger brakes.

The GT-Line Turbo shares the same 18" alloy wheels found on the GT-Line. It gains a chrome-tipped center exhaust and gets the high gloss black power-adjustable side mirrors. Turn-signal integration is also found on these mirrors. This is the only trim level to have LED fog lights, tail lights, and headlights as standard equipment. The sunroof is also included on the GT-Line Turbo. Of all the trim levels, this one gives drivers the fewest exterior paint options. There are just five to choose from.

Inside, the GT-Line Turbo keeps the fancier touches added by the EX. It has the same D-shaped steering wheel that was previously mentioned on the GT-Line. For the GT-Line Turbo, however, the steering wheel becomes heated. As for the seating surfaces, they are a combination of SOFINO and cloth. The sound system gets upgraded to a 10-speaker one from Harmon Kardon. LED interior lighting helps round out the upgrades to the cabin.

There are more advanced safety features here as well. A head's up display, which is designed to minimize driver distraction by projection important info into the driver's line of sight, is standard. Also added is pedestrian detection to the forward collision assist feature. Finally, adaptive cruise control becomes standard.

The GT-Line Turbo combines the best of both worlds by adding both performance and technology features. At the same time, it adds nearly five grand to the cost of the EX, which is sure to make consumers hesitate.

Which Trim to Choose?

Most buyers will want to simply skip the LX trim unless they are looking to spend the least amount of money possible. The S trim adds a long list of safety features. Both the X-Line and GT-Line look fancier, but really do not have the features to back up their sporty appearance. Plus, they make consumers pick and choose which driver assistance aids they want.

The GT-Line Turbo is attractive but very pricey. Those looking to spend that amount of money may be better off looking in an entirely different segment of the market. As a result, the EX is the way to go in most situations. The infotainment system upgrade, plus the return of most of the available safety features, make this a smart choice.

Drivers interested in the 2020 Kia Soul will not be disappointed if they choose the EX trim level.