Can a 2020 Kia Soul With Manual Transmission Be Flat-Towed

Question:

Good day. I see eTrailer sells a Blue Ox base plate BX2727 for the 2020 Kia Soul. I was at the dealer last night, about to purchase a 2020 Kia Soul with a manual transmission, when I asked to see the owners manual. On page 6-24 it explicitly states: Your vehicle is not designed to be dinghy towed with 4 wheels on the ground behind a motor home. To avoid serious damage to your vehicle, do not tow your vehicle with four wheels on the ground. These are conflicting messages. Is it okay to flat tow a 2020 Kia Soul with a manual transmission?

asked by: Jason T

Expert Reply:

According to Kia, the 2020 Kia Soul is flat-towable with all four wheels down if it has the manual transmission. The note in the owner's manual is for models with the automatic transmission. I do however recommend you speak with them yourself before a new vehicle purchase. If you like, I have attached for you below a list of parts that you will need to flat-tow your Kia Soul.

Blue Ox Alpha 2 Tow Bar part # BX7380
Blue Ox Base Plate Kit part # BX2727
SMI Stay-IN-Play DUO Supplemental Braking System part # SM99251
Roadmaster Diode 7-Wire to 6-Wire Flexo-Coil Wiring Kit part # RM-15267

expert reply by: Conner L

Miguel H.

7/17/2020

I recently installed the Blue Ox on my 2020 Kia Soul. When flat towing I put the car in neutral and do I leave the key in the ignition and turn it to unlock the steering wheel? Or do I keep the steering wheel locked while towing the car. Please advise. Thank you.

Chris R.

7/21/2020

There isn't a note in the Soul's owner's manual specifically about this, but typically you would want the steering wheel unlocked so the vehicle can track behind the RV. I recommend checking with a local Kia dealer to see if they might have some more "official" information on this.