Kia Soul Bows Out: The Final Chapter of a Little Car with Big Character
After 16 years, three generations, and more than 1.5 million units sold, the Kia Soul—arguably one of the most distinctive small cars of the 21st century—is taking its final bow. The quirky, boxy hatchback that once danced its way into pop culture alongside hip-hop hamsters will end production in late 2025, closing a story that’s as unlikely as it is unforgettable.
If any car has earned the right to be called a cult classic, the Soul just might be it—without irony. Not because it was fast, luxurious, or cutting-edge, but because it dared to be different. In an industry obsessed with conformity, the Soul wore its oddness as a badge of pride. When it disappears from Kia’s lineup at the end of next year, it leaves behind more than a silhouette—it leaves a legacy of confidence and creativity.
The Soul was born in the mid-2000s, a time when small cars were synonymous with anonymity. Kia’s American design team, led by the ever-adventurous Kia Design Center in California, took inspiration from something no corporate committee would ever suggest: the shape of a wild boar’s backpack. The result was a compact, upright, slightly defiant little car with more personality than its size could reasonably contain.
But the Soul’s true fame wasn’t forged in wind tunnels—it was built in the world of advertising. The now-legendary A New Way to Roll campaign introduced dancing hamsters grooving to everything from Black Sheep to LMFAO, instantly turning the Soul into a pop icon. The so-called “Hamstars” even won Madison Avenue’s award for best new ad characters, cementing their place in marketing folklore.
Kia quickly realized that the Soul’s platform was a playground for creativity. A series of outlandish concepts followed—Soul’ster, Track’ster, Trail’ster—flirting with convertible, coupe, and all-wheel-drive hybrid formats. None reached production, yet each shaped Kia’s evolving design language. The Soul became a design laboratory, paving the way for models like the Seltos—a grown-up echo of the same playful DNA.
By the time the third-generation Soul arrived in 2019, it had matured without losing its spark. It remained a rare niche offering in an era when most cars began to look depressingly alike—perhaps the highest compliment one can pay it.
Kia has confirmed that production will officially end in the fall of 2025, marking the last chance to own a car that turned “boxy” into a statement.
Without the Soul, there might never have been a Stinger—or the electric EV6. As the little cube on wheels makes its final skid mark, it leaves behind a simple but profound reminder: sometimes, the cars that refuse to take themselves too seriously are the ones the world ends up taking most seriously.
