The Soul must be a lot smaller than it looks in the pictures. Based on the dimensions quoted in the story, the Soul isn't actually very big at all. Compared to my Versa it has a shorter wheelbase by 50mm, a shorter overall length by a whopping 190mm, it's heavier by 180 kilos (!) and the base engine has 2 less HP. It is taller by 75mm though, which is good news for people who like wearing really big hats.
I think Kia should consider dropping the base engine altogether and just go with the larger 2L, 120HP seems a tad inadequate for a car this porky.
All that said, I still like it. It'll be interesting to see what the Soul's actually like to drive.