Reduced power when going up hill 2022 SR

[Mike]

Thanks @Mike: for replying.
Glad to here you are happy with the Soul !.
I know you tried very hard to get the suspension in the ZS ( Gen1 ) sorted to your liking.
Then there was the issue of the “Buggy” software etc.
Sometimes you just feel like you are swimming in jelly ? and loose interest in the car.
I was a little surprised you did not go for the improved facelift model, but then a change is a good thing also.
The improvements ( for what is a face lift model ) where gratefully received by previous Gen1 owners.
But there is only SO far you can go with a face lift model I guess ?.
When we first collected the Gen1 ZS EV in 2019 it was pretty rare also.
Now two years latter, I see one almost every time we go out.
It has been a huge hit for MG sales in the U.K.
I guess there is no such thing as a BAD EV, some are just better and more expensive as a result.
The choice of EV’s have increased massively in the last two years.
Supply is the biggest problem !.
With crazy price of fuel at the moment, owning a EV has suddenly become the number one topic.
In 2019 we had the only EV / PHEV in the street, now there is one or he other in just about 25% of the houses !.

Thanks,

I decided to not go for the facelift for several reasons.
Efficiency. The Soul goes further on less.
The range 280 miles on 64kWh
Handling/ride quality
Independent rear suspension
Regen paddles
HUD
Quad dipped & main beam LED lights
Gas struts holding bonnet open
Extending sun visors
Interior rear light!
EV integration between the car & infotainment system.
Heat pump
Generally reliable rapid charging.
I’m sure there is more!

I didn’t know the spec of the ZS LR when I bought the Soul. It is pretty good, though I may still be waiting had I placed an order when it was first available. The only things that for me are attractive are the 500kg towing and the panoramic sunroof! I’m planning on keeping the Soul for some time. It has the range and all the features I need.

 

[Lovemyev]

Thanks,

I decided to not go for the facelift for several reasons.
Efficiency. The Soul goes further on less.
The range 280 miles on 64kWh
Handling/ride quality
Independent rear suspension
Regen paddles
HUD
Quad dipped & main beam LED lights
Gas struts holding bonnet open
Extending sun visors
Interior rear light!
EV integration between the car & infotainment system.
Heat pump
Generally reliable rapid charging.
I’m sure there is more!

I didn’t know the spec of the ZS LR when I bought the Soul. It is pretty good, though I may still be waiting had I placed an order when it was first available. The only things that for me are attractive are the 500kg towing and the panoramic sunroof! I’m planning on keeping the Soul for some time. It has the range and all the features I need.

Your welcome !.
That is a very STRONG list of "Nice Bit's" to have on the Soul Mike to be fair !.
I totally agree, it is extremely hard to compare a car you can actually touch, with a car that is still unknown !.
I know you had a hand in putting a "Wish List" of improvements together with Miles on the original ZS EV.
So, for future owners of the ZS EV Facelift, they should be grateful that most of the improvements on the list have now been implemented - thanks.
It's a strange thing when you have a large sun roof, you take it for granted.
But when you jump into a car without one, it feels a little oppressive until you get use to it.
I had a Golf with a sun roof and white head lining, then moved to Golf PHEV with black head lining but NO sun roof.
It felt small inside the car for a while, but it soon passed.
Nice that the ZS EV had the full size pan roof.
The grand children love it.
Enjoy the Soul Mike !.

 

[Kithmo]

Thanks,

I decided to not go for the facelift for several reasons.
Efficiency. The Soul goes further on less.
The range 280 miles on 64kWh
Handling/ride quality
Independent rear suspension
Regen paddles
HUD
Quad dipped & main beam LED lights
Gas struts holding bonnet open
Extending sun visors
Interior rear light!
EV integration between the car & infotainment system.
Heat pump
Generally reliable rapid charging.
I’m sure there is more!

I didn’t know the spec of the ZS LR when I bought the Soul. It is pretty good, though I may still be waiting had I placed an order when it was first available. The only things that for me are attractive are the 500kg towing and the panoramic sunroof! I’m planning on keeping the Soul for some time. It has the range and all the features I need.

The Soul looks like a well specced car for £32k (Carwow) if you don't need the extra space.
It would suit me fine as I'm the only one that uses the car for short local trips, SWMBO has her own MG5, I'm very tempted.
What's the order to delivery waiting time for the Soul ?

 

[Lovemyev]

The Soul looks like a well specced car for £32k (Carwow) if you don't need the extra space.
It would suit me fine as I'm the only one that uses the car for short local trips, SWMBO has her own MG5, I'm very tempted.
What's the order to delivery waiting time for the Soul ?

I think Mike managed to pick up either a showroom / pre-reg model ?.
I know he said he was happy with the deal he had at the time !.
You don’t see that many of them about ?.
A bit of a “Worst - best kept secret” really I think !.
You expect the boot to be a little bit small, because the back of the car ends so abruptly.
Hey ….. But if you don’t need a massive boot, then there is a LOT in the Soul’s favour.
As a young family user, you maybe able to gain the space back, IF the Soul will accept a small roof box ?.
The efficiency is good, so it will not detract too much from the range.
We are back to this fact, that now the Trophy has increased in price ( due to PICG reduction ) in brings the face lift ZS EV closer to the competition.
The original ZS EV came with a smaller price tag and smaller battery, compared to the more expensive 64 kwh e.Nero and Kona.
But the Facelift model LR model closed in and exceeded their pack sizes, but the difference in price between both cars closed in as well !.
I think the Soul makes a great alternative myself ????.

 

[Dave]

Thanks,

I decided to not go for the facelift for several reasons.
Efficiency. The Soul goes further on less.
The range 280 miles on 64kWh
Handling/ride quality
Independent rear suspension
Regen paddles
HUD
Quad dipped & main beam LED lights
Gas struts holding bonnet open
Extending sun visors
Interior rear light!
EV integration between the car & infotainment system.
Heat pump
Generally reliable rapid charging.
I’m sure there is more!

I didn’t know the spec of the ZS LR when I bought the Soul. It is pretty good, though I may still be waiting had I placed an order when it was first available. The only things that for me are attractive are the 500kg towing and the panoramic sunroof! I’m planning on keeping the Soul for some time. It has the range and all the features I need.

Just like to point out that the HUD in the SOUL is not even close to a real HUD. It’s merely a screen that pops up inside the car and displays info to the driver (I believe). A HUD focuses the image outside the car through the windscreen so the driver doesn’t have to refocus his/her eyes so much. Cars that do have “proper” HUDS don’t have an infinite focus collimating unit so they don’t produce a true infinite focus image as would be seen by a fighter plane pilot. Instead, a combination of mirrors extend the focal point to outside the car in the road.

 

[Mike]

The Soul looks like a well specced car for £32k (Carwow) if you don't need the extra space.
It would suit me fine as I'm the only one that uses the car for short local trips, SWMBO has her own MG5, I'm very tempted.
What's the order to delivery waiting time for the Soul ?

No idea! I bought an ex head office car with 14,000 miles and 18 months old. I expect delivery would be in the region of 4-12 months like most other companies.

Just like to point out that the HUD in the SOUL is not even close to a real HUD. It’s merely a screen that pops up inside the car and displays info to the driver (I believe). A HUD focuses the image outside the car through the windscreen so the driver doesn’t have to refocus his/her eyes so much. Cars that do have “proper” HUDS don’t have an infinite focus collimating unit so they don’t produce a true infinite focus image as would be seen by a fighter plane pilot. Instead, a combination of mirrors extend the focal point to outside the car in the road.

It is a head up display, just not like some other newer cars. BMW used this system for years as did/do other companies. It’s probably cheaper than the project on windscreen type. VW I heard were having issues as are Kia with the EV6.

 

[Dave]

No idea! I bought an ex head office car with 14,000 miles and 18 months old. I expect delivery would be in the region of 4-12 months like most other companies.

It is a head up display, just not like some other newer cars. BMW used this system for years as did/do other companies. It’s probably cheaper than the project on windscreen type. VW I heard were having issues as are Kia with the EV6.

Yes. Maybe I am thinking of the Nero that has a little clear plastic screen that comes out just above the steering column and displays info on that. The Soul is a great car and very popular in Korea. I had the Nissan Cube in white The way the the rear door opened it definitely looked like a fridge.

 

[Kithmo]

Carwow seem to be saying some dealers have Kia Souls in stock now.
The James and Kate video mentioned loud road noise, what's yours like Mike ?

 

[Mike]

Carwow seem to be saying some dealers have Kia Souls in stock now.
The James and Kate video mentioned loud road noise, what's yours like Mike ?

No worse than the ZS.

 

[Dave]

No worse than the ZS.

You actually mean “It’s very quiet - just like the ZS”

 

[Drop Bear]

Has anyone else experienced reduced power when climbing a hill? If I’m driving up a hill on the motorway I’m often limited to 40% power when I put my foot down.

I’ve now experienced this twice in cold weather. Couldn’t achieve more than high 60s power percentage on a sustained uphill south of Hobart. This had the effect of keeping my speed at about 70km/h, or 10km/h below the limit. If I eased off and tried reaccelerating it wouldn’t recover. Once over the crest it was ok. Oct 2022 build facelift Essence. Will talk to the dealership next service.

 

[fred12345]

I’ve now experienced this twice in cold weather. Couldn’t achieve more than high 60s power percentage on a sustained uphill south of Hobart. This had the effect of keeping my speed at about 70km/h, or 10km/h below the limit. If I eased off and tried reaccelerating it wouldn’t recover. Once over the crest it was ok. Oct 2022 build facelift Essence. Will talk to the dealership next service.

Was the car fully loaded and how steep was the hill? What I'm getting at is that the power maybe depending on what the car can actually pull up the hill rather than something being wrong... Same as petrol cars going up hill, if they struggle, revs will never be at the top unless you change the gear and 70 km/h may be equivalent to what petrol car could achieve... ?

 

[Lovemyev]

Regular hard prolonged acceleration up steep inclines is not really great for or long term battery health.
Dragging high discharge from the traction battery under load is not helpful.