KIA SOUL SPORT

Interestingly, now that the phrase “think outside the box” has become nice and hackneyed, boxy-looking vehicles are in.

A recent arrival is the all-new and nifty Kia Soul, a five-passenger wagon-style compact with front-wheel drive, four doors, and a rear hatch that opens to a cargo area.

There are four different trim levels available: the base Soul, the Soul+, the Soul! and the Soul Sport. Pricing, including destination charge, starts at $13,995 for the Soul, $15,645 for the Soul+, $17,645 for the Soul!, and $17,645 for the Soul Sport.

To discuss the Soul! model out loud, say “Soul exclaim.”

Standard equipment on the base version includes air conditioning, power windows and door locks, four-speaker AM/FM audio system with CD, MP3 and satellite radio, tilt steering wheel, outside temperature display, and 60/40 split folding rear seats.

The other models add remote keyless entry, cruise control, privacy glass, an upgraded audio system and more, depending on model. A sunroof is standard on the Soul! and fog lamps are standard on Soul! and Sport.

The base Soul comes with a 1.6-liter, 122-horsepower four-cylinder engine; the others have a 2.0-liter, 142-horsepower four-cylinder.

Standard on all models is a five-speed manual transmission; a four-speed automatic is an available option on all but the base Soul.

Standard safety features on all models includes front seat-mounted side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, electronic stability control, and traction control.

My tester, a Soul Sport with five-speed manual transmission, has an EPA rating of 24 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. With its generous amount of standard features plus an optional sunroof ($700), it’s priced about a stimulus-check above $18,000.

Features unique to the Sport model are black front and rear fascias and side sills, metal-finish interior accents, metal pedals, and red-and-black interior trim with red sport cloth seat inserts.

The Soul Sport also comes with 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels.

Soul’s styling, inside and out, is quirky but not ridiculous. My week with it was chock-full of favorable comments from people of all ages, personal styles and modes of expression. If they’d been driving it, like me, they would have had even more favorable things to say.

The two-liter engine and five-speed manual have a successful marriage, producing satisfying power with good fuel economy. Shifting is a breeze, and Soul is a blast to drive. Its boxy shape is little hindrance to its ability to take sharp turns with vigor. A bucket seat keeps the driver in check during those turns, and provides considerable comfort, even for long periods of time.

A surprise feature was a ring of red light around the door speakers, with different settings — one of which makes the light flash to the beat of the stereo’s music. Trippy, especially at night. Man, would my friends and I have loved that light in the ’70s. Not that we needed one more thing to enhance our enjoyment of Jimi Hendrix, the Allman Brothers, Jimmy Cliff, the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. But still.