In the world of automotive design, coupes have long been the most expressive stylistically — so much so that there are four-door sedans masquerading as two-door tin-tops. It is the light and lithe lines that make them so appealing. In the case of the Kia Koup, it is the kicked-up beltline, rear diffuser and laid-back windshield that give it an athletic look. It’s a design that’s clean, uncluttered and has the all-important proportions.
The clean/uncluttered philosophy follows through to the cabin. Here, the Koup has been equally well conceived and executed with the same single-minded purpose. The SX’s seats, for example, are first-rate — there’s plenty of lateral bolstering and decent under-thigh support. As for content, the SX arrives loaded to the nines. Standard stuff includes everything from the usual power toys and cruise control to tilt and telescopic steering and a decent audio package that includes both USB and iPod inputs. Beyond the expected basics, the SX brings full leather, automatic climate control, a spiffy gauge cluster, Sirius satellite radio, power sunroof, fog lights and aluminum pedals. The test car also included the Luxury package and its navigation system.
The only quibble is that some of the plastics are still hard, if nicely textured, and the inclusion of a standard sunroof. It puts a crimp in the available headroom — those taller than 6-foot-1 will get friendly with the sunshade. The sunroof should be a delete option on the SX.
The back half of the Koup has been equally well thought through — the rear seat will accommodate two adults with legroom to spare (credit the Koup’s 2,650-millimetre wheelbase). As is usual, getting to the back seat requires some agility and, as with the front area, headroom is at somewhat of a premium. However, when viewed as somewhere to put one’s briefcase, it all works. Ditto the trunk — it makes light work of 12.6 cubic feet of one’s stuff and offers the flexibility of 60/40-split/folding rear seatbacks.
Where the bulk of the Forte range employs a lively 2.0-litre four that churns out 156 horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque — both numbers are stronger than the entry-level norm — the SX benefits from a larger 2.4L four-cylinder that employs variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams. This not only ups the output to 173 hp and 168 lb-ft of torque, it brings a much broader powerband. Indeed, this engine is noticeably smoother and it is, more importantly, so much faster to respond to throttle input.
The test car arrived with a six-speed manual transmission. There is an optional six-speed manumatic available. The manual is passable, although I did not care for the gate’s feel and the fact the clutch bites late in its travel. That stated, once used to things, it is possible to shift without the box balking at the workout. Regardless, I would go with the manumatic. The difference it makes to the acceleration rate and fuel economy is not worth worrying about. It does, however, make the Koup far easier to drive in stop-and-go traffic.
In the end, the powertrain combination delivered a surprising turn of speed. The SX’s zero-to-100-kilometres-an-hour time comes in at a respectable 8.7 seconds. It also boasts a deceptively quick 80-to-120-km/h passing time of 5.2 seconds in third gear. That is as fast as many more expensive rides. The capper is found in the bolder exhaust note when the car is being driven with purpose — it speaks to the engine’s willing nature and the fact it loves to rev without sounding thrashy.
The ride and handling characteristics are also surprisingly good because the SX utilizes a much sportier suspension than the base cars. The beefed-up spring and damper rates dial out practically all body roll, the response to steering input is way crisper and, thanks to the P215/45R17 tires, there’s much less understeer at the limit. Likewise, the braking is commendably fade free. Even after several full-on stops, the brakes still felt crisp under foot. In the end, the Koup SX proved to be (and, more importantly, feel) as sporty as its key competitor — namely, the Honda Civic coupe.
The Forte Koup is a strong entrant because of its thoughtful, uncluttered design and, given the pricing at play, the overall value for one’s hard-earned loonie. It arrives with a ton of equipment, the right blend of ride and handling characteristics and a healthy dose of personality. In other words, there’s little to dislike. Ironically, it was the use of the K in the Koup nameplate that bugged me the most. I could even suffer the indignity of having people laugh as my creaky bones are lowered into the back seat. If cheesy is where Kia is at, the use of the K more than works. I hate texting lingo and the ease with which miss-spelled words are so readily accepted and, more annoyingly, become fashionable. So, if it was a play on words Kia wanted, why not go whole hog? May I suggest the Canadian version be henceforth called the Coupe-eh!
THE SPECS
Type of vehicle Front-wheel-drive compact coupe
Engine 2.4L DOHC in-line four
Power 173 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 168 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires P215/45R17
Price: base/as tested $18,995/$24,595
Destination charge $1,455
Tranpsort Canada fuel economy L/100 km 9.2 city, 6.2 hwy.
Standard features Automatic climate control, power locks, windows, heated mirrors and sunroof, cruise control, six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3/Sirius satellite audio with steering wheel-mounted controls and auxiliary/USB inputs, voice-activated Bluetooth, tilt and telescopic steering, leather seating, heated seats, keyless entry, trip computer, alloy pedals, 60/40-split/folding rear seats, six air bags
Options Luxury package ($1,100), including navigation system, electrochromatic interior
mirror, LED tail lights and chrome door handles
