It's also a shame that Kia don't seem to understand the value of "release notes" so that we can be told what the differences, improvements (& questionable "improvements") are.
We got our Soul EV only 4 weeks ago. We found it had the old software and maps, but had requested that the latest were supplied as part of our order. It was an oversight which got corrected yesterday. (BTW very happy that the dealership were quick to admit the oversight and willing to do the upgrade. It was my choice to stay on the old for a few weeks). It was updated yesterday from the delivered 23-Dec-2019 software and EUR.12 maps to this spring's 03-Mar-2021 software and the most recent EUR.13 map data.
We've noticed the purple! We've noticed the irritating loss of three widgets on the home screen. Because we've only had the car 4 weeks before the change we may wrongly attribute some changes to the new software. "Was it always like this or has it changed?"
I like that we can now filter the EV charge points identified along the route and untick AC, so it only reports useful nearby rapid DC chargers. You can also tick and untick certain charging networks, but the list of networks seems a bit unfamiliar. Some of them I recognise as mainland Europe, but where are Ecotricity so that we can select them appropriately (off!)
We are pondering the value of the profiles. If it adjusted the driver's seat and mirrors (it can't) it would make sense, but if it just makes it possible to have inconsistent settings in the nav unit I'm not sure of the value...
"Sounds of Nature" - WTF!
We think that the User Settings for light colour around the gear knob have started to work for this software. We were able to set the colour and intensity - I don't think this worked before. When we parked and locked the car by keyless push of the button we noticed that the light remained on around the gear (even though the car was properly locked and mirrors had folded). A press on the fob's lock button turned these last remaining lights off - There is the possibility that we hadn't noticed this before because evenings have been light so late in the UK in recent weeks... altrnatively it could cause 12V battery drain if it doesn't go off eventually.
If only Kia produced release notes on changes...
Release note as a sort of tantric user experience seems less than ideal. We are supposed to "work it out" by fumbling for the previously familiar and discovering good new stuff by accident.
End-of-term-report - "Must try harder Kia"
Specific details of our change:
Old software: SK3_E.EUR.S5W_L.001.001.191223
New software: SK3_E.EUR.S5W_L.001.001.210303
Old maps: EUR.12.41.47.551.401.2(D.F9/E.F9)
New maps: EUR.13.47.47.412.407.2(D.H2/E.H3)
Some other things we think are changes:-
There are yard countdowns to speed cameras under the speed circle. On the HUD I was initially baffled by the text under the speed sign, but later worked out that it was actually showing 0yd. Zero yards to the next non-existent speed camera in this limit zone it would appear. The countdowns seem useful but the redundant 0yd is a little distracting
You can now choose not to see optional stopping places (Parking) in navigation turn list - That gets rid of some clutter.
The chimes for speed limits seem to be more assertive if you are over the limit. We think the colour changes for being over-speed have changed. We think the text used to go amber when you were over the limit but within 10%. E.g. doing up to 66 in a 60. Over that, the speed number goes red e.g. at 67. We think it is now goes red if you are 3 mph over whatever limit. Cough, just investigating the safety features on a clear road officer and "testing my eyesight" you understand. Anyone would do it, I'm sure the PM would stand by me...
Navigation partially crashed (stopped advancing through next turn events) but was moving the car on the map - It did this only near the end of our journey home.
I suspect that if Kia provided a list of their "improvements" the release might be judged more kindly for the good things. It's so easy to spot what we don't like and miss the bits which are subtly better.
We got our Soul EV only 4 weeks ago. We found it had the old software and maps, but had requested that the latest were supplied as part of our order. It was an oversight which got corrected yesterday. (BTW very happy that the dealership were quick to admit the oversight and willing to do the upgrade. It was my choice to stay on the old for a few weeks). It was updated yesterday from the delivered 23-Dec-2019 software and EUR.12 maps to this spring's 03-Mar-2021 software and the most recent EUR.13 map data.
We've noticed the purple! We've noticed the irritating loss of three widgets on the home screen. Because we've only had the car 4 weeks before the change we may wrongly attribute some changes to the new software. "Was it always like this or has it changed?"
I like that we can now filter the EV charge points identified along the route and untick AC, so it only reports useful nearby rapid DC chargers. You can also tick and untick certain charging networks, but the list of networks seems a bit unfamiliar. Some of them I recognise as mainland Europe, but where are Ecotricity so that we can select them appropriately (off!)
We are pondering the value of the profiles. If it adjusted the driver's seat and mirrors (it can't) it would make sense, but if it just makes it possible to have inconsistent settings in the nav unit I'm not sure of the value...
"Sounds of Nature" - WTF!
We think that the User Settings for light colour around the gear knob have started to work for this software. We were able to set the colour and intensity - I don't think this worked before. When we parked and locked the car by keyless push of the button we noticed that the light remained on around the gear (even though the car was properly locked and mirrors had folded). A press on the fob's lock button turned these last remaining lights off - There is the possibility that we hadn't noticed this before because evenings have been light so late in the UK in recent weeks... altrnatively it could cause 12V battery drain if it doesn't go off eventually.
If only Kia produced release notes on changes...
Release note as a sort of tantric user experience seems less than ideal. We are supposed to "work it out" by fumbling for the previously familiar and discovering good new stuff by accident.
End-of-term-report - "Must try harder Kia"
Specific details of our change:
Old software: SK3_E.EUR.S5W_L.001.001.191223
New software: SK3_E.EUR.S5W_L.001.001.210303
Old maps: EUR.12.41.47.551.401.2(D.F9/E.F9)
New maps: EUR.13.47.47.412.407.2(D.H2/E.H3)
Some other things we think are changes:-
There are yard countdowns to speed cameras under the speed circle. On the HUD I was initially baffled by the text under the speed sign, but later worked out that it was actually showing 0yd. Zero yards to the next non-existent speed camera in this limit zone it would appear. The countdowns seem useful but the redundant 0yd is a little distracting
You can now choose not to see optional stopping places (Parking) in navigation turn list - That gets rid of some clutter.
The chimes for speed limits seem to be more assertive if you are over the limit. We think the colour changes for being over-speed have changed. We think the text used to go amber when you were over the limit but within 10%. E.g. doing up to 66 in a 60. Over that, the speed number goes red e.g. at 67. We think it is now goes red if you are 3 mph over whatever limit. Cough, just investigating the safety features on a clear road officer and "testing my eyesight" you understand. Anyone would do it, I'm sure the PM would stand by me...
Navigation partially crashed (stopped advancing through next turn events) but was moving the car on the map - It did this only near the end of our journey home.
I suspect that if Kia provided a list of their "improvements" the release might be judged more kindly for the good things. It's so easy to spot what we don't like and miss the bits which are subtly better.
