Kia thinks that by making cuter smart cars, it can encourage people to bond with their cars. I dont know about most people, but me and my friends are already bonded with our cars (babies as we call them) as much as possible. Any more bonding and we would be labelled perverse and hauled away from civilised society.

I do agree though that the trend that was seen recently in the Tata Nano is to make the smaller cars seem more cuter and thus more appealing to the consumer. The Soul aims to appeal to everyone who is young at heart.

More details:

The architecture of the Soul's stance is reflective of its sporting and confident character. A wrap-around windshield, muscular wheel flares, stylish front headlamps and a sloped roofline help convey Soul's athletic appearance, which is geared toward satisfying customers with an active lifestyle. The Soul's exterior exudes an athletic presence, while several design cues lend a svelte, edgy look indicative of urban attitude.

Atop the sloped roofline is an automatic panoramic sun/moon roof. The front section of the panoramic roof slides backward and fits over of the rear section allowing for open-air driving with unobstructed views for both front and rear passengers. Also up top are roof racks integrated into the Soul's design with rails for sliding objects forward and backward.

the multimedia entertainment system is a notebook computer with a multi-purpose video game monitor housed in the glove compartment area. The notebook sits on a tray that swings outward when the vehicle is stationary and becomes accessible to either the passenger or driver seating positions. The multimedia system includes Blue-tooth and MP3 technology as well as multiple USB ports, Wi-Fi and telematics. Video monitors that fold up and out airline style from the center console, which runs the length of the cabin, are available for rear seat passengers' entertainment.

The front-drive Soul is powered by a 2.0-liter, inline four-cylinder gasoline engine. The powerplant is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift capability and adaptive cruise control for active driver control and convenience.