When you hear someone talk about the Kia Soul you probably think of cute, little hamsters wearing sunglasses and bobbing their head to a catchy tune- It’s ok you’re not alone. Well, the great commercial isn’t the only thing people are talking about. For the second year in a row the Kia Soul 2010 was named one of Kelly Blue Book’s “top ten coolest cars under $18,000”. The Soul is known for its funky style and cutting edge technology, not to mention the affordable price tag. Kelly Blue Book chooses the top ten cars based on criteria that most consumers would use- safety, fuel economy, interior size, comfort and technology. They also factor in that little “extra something” that separates the average from the awesome. Beyond those essential criteria, Kelley Blue Book also considered how much fun a car is to own and drive. As great as it is to be a part of the KBB list, that’s not all Kia Motors is proud of these days. The Kia Soul 2010 has been listed for four other awards already his year including “Best Family Cars for 2010” by Edmunds.com and Parents Magazine, “Best Hatchback of 2010” by Cars.com, and “2010 Top Cars for Families” by Motherproof.com.

Kia dealerships in IL are making sure the word is out on this hot little car and people are listening! “Soul continues to draw more customers into Kia showrooms because of its cool factor and overall value package,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA. “It’s reassuring to know one of the largest and most credible automotive consumer sites recognizes Soul for all it has to offer to a wide array of consumers, including design, practicality, technology features, fuel economy and the Kia brand’s core, standard value package.”

There is a Kia Soul for just about anyone. Soul is available in four trims, Soul, Soul+, Soul! (exclaim) and Soul sport, as well as four special editions, including the recently unveiled Soul Ghost.  Pricing for the versatile five-door begins under $14,000. Kia Motors has really come out with some outstanding new models over the past couple years and they are now going toe-to-toe, as far as reliability and customer satisfaction, with other major car companies like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. It will be interesting to see what Kia has in store for us in the years to come.

This May Kia Motors America officially announced the new advertising campaign, “This or That” for the Kia Soul 2010.  The “This or That” campaign is a renovated version of the award winning campaign created by David & Goliath which featured the lovable Hamsters. Fortunately, the famous Hamsters are back and better than ever.  The Soul is a fresh and highly customizable passenger vehicle and the campaign tries to incorporate those traits with its creative theme and classic rap song “The Choice is Yours”.  The spot will run on Comedy Central, Fuse, MTV, MTV2, Spike, and other channels through July.  The campaign will also have a presence online at sites such as Pandora, Facebook and a YouTube contest.

“Given the success and popularity of the hamsters in the initial Soul launch with a spot that won Nielsen’s Automotive Ad of the Year, it made sense to bring them back for a new campaign,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing of KMA. “We know the Soul target audience is digitally savvy and that they viewed the first commercial multiple times online, so the newest experience is rich with details in the hamster world and integrated Soul content for them to discover during repeat viewings.”

“”Hamstar™” logoed clothing, as seen in the spot, will soon be available for purchase by fans at www.hamstarclothing.com ”. (check soon for details)

The actual commercial features the Hamsters cruising on through a cityscape behind the wheel of a green Kia Soul.  It is expected that this is one of the color ways that you can expect to see at your local kia dealerships.  The lyrics in the song, “You can get with this, or you can get with that” play off of the myriad of options that customers get to choose from before purchasing their Soul.

The Kia Soul is unique and really is aimed at the young and young-at-heart members of society by offering a great mixture of style, value, and personalization options.  A buyer can choose from an Audio Upgrade Package, speaker lights, mood lighting, or black cloth seats with glowing inserts, and those are just a few of the options available.

When I was a teenager, my parents lectured me every night before going out. “Drive safe, Johnny!” I inevitably rolled my eyes and said “Mom, I’ll be fine! You worry too much.” Little did I know that I would one day be that over-concerned parent myself and now as a husband and father, I can finally appreciate where my parents concern came from all those years ago. My kids aren’t driving yet but my wife totes them around all day and if they weren’t in a safe vehicle I would never have any peace of mind. That’s why my wife and I chose the Kia Sorento, which recently became a “Top Safety Pick,” the highest honor from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

To earn the “Top Safety Pick” designation from the IIHS, a car must undergo a rigorous set of tests. The designation is given only when said vehicle receives “Good” (the highest possible rating) in all four crash tests – front, side, rollover, and rear impact. Additionally, the vehicle must have electronic stability control.

In the case of the Sorento, it meets all of the above criteria plus more! The CUV comes with safety features such as driver and passenger advanced front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags, side curtain airbags, front active headrests, a four-wheel Antilock Brake System, electronic brake distribution, hill start assist control, and downhill brake control. With all of this, there’s no other choice for my family and me!

If you’re not a CUV person, there are many other Kia vehicles that have earned this safety distinction as well. Among some of the recipients are the 2010 Kia Soul, 2010 Forte, and the 2006-2009 Kia Sedona minivans.

All of these vehicles and more are available at your local Kia dealerships.  Safety will continue to be a key factor in my car buying decisions and that’s why I will continue to go to Extreme Kia where I can get “Top Safety Picks” like the 2010 Kia Soul or 2011 Kia Sorento! And while I’ll still say “Drive safe” to my wife every time she leaves, I know I’ll have the peace of mind that she and the kids will be protected if the worst case scenario were to ever happen.