Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
Like the Scion tC, which is perhaps the little Kia’s most direct rival, the Forte Koup offers genuinely engaging style and a sporty driving experience together with a surprisingly comfortable back seat, good trunk room, and commuter-friendly convenience features. Sure, there are other compact coupes out there – including the Honda Civic Coupe, Hyundai Elantra Coupe and even, arguably, the Volkswagen Beetle – but none of them really look the part quite as well as the Kia Forte Koup does. It’s a genuine stunner thanks to the styling efforts of former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, and my test car drew favourable comments wherever I went.
Powering
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
Transmission options include either a six-speed manual (standard on the EX and SX) or a six-speed automatic (optional on the EX and SX, standard on the SX luxury) driving the front wheels, with SX models getting paddle-shifters when equipped with the automatic. Thanks to its top-of-the-range SX Luxury trim my test car had the automatic, which I found generally smooth and effective, although it could sometimes be a bit eager to downshift, responding to slight throttle
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
In terms of fuel economy, using the new 2015 five-cycle test method the Forte Koup SX is rated 9.3 / 6.6 L/100km (city/highway) with the automatic transmission, and I managed very close to this when in automatic mode, achieving real-world readings of 6.9 L/100km on the highway and 10.5 L/100km in the city. Frequent use of the manual shift mode around town put a bigger grin on my face but increased my fuel consumption to 12.5 L/100km.
Underpinning the Forte Koup is an independent MacPherson strut front suspension and
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
Inside, the Forte Koup has a cleanly executed and businesslike ambience that’s entirely suitable for a sports coupe. Soft-touch materials are used for the door uppers, passenger’s side dash pad, armrests and centre console top, while the remainder of the interior is made of well-matched rigid plastics. My SX Luxury test car
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
While comfortable and supportive seating is expected in the front of a sports coupe (and the Forte Koup didn’t disappoint in this regard), the rear seat is often a cramped, uncomfortable afterthought. The Forte Koup, however, has very good room in the back (certainly for a coupe, at any rate) so offering your friends a ride across town needn’t be an act of torture. The trunk is also decently sized at 378 litres, and there are standard 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks for when you have more (or longer) luggage than will fit.
Safety is taken care of thanks to a full suite of airbags, antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, and mostly good IIHS crash ratings (the one exception here
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
I tested the Forte Koup in the early fall, just as the model year changes were starting to take place, so the car I drove was a 2014. Having just been fully redesigned for its second generation, however, the Forte Koup is carrying over into 2015 with no changes, so all the equipment and trim details will remain the same for the next model year.
For the base EX (which starts at $22,780 including destination fees) this equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, power locks with keyless entry, power windows, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, selectable electric power steering, cloth-upholstered seats (heated in front), a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather-wrapped shift knob, auto-dimming rearview
Photo: Simon Hill, Canadian Auto Press |
The SX trim starts at $25,680 (destination in) and in addition to the more powerful engine it adds things like a carbon-fibre patterned rear diffuser, bigger 18-inch alloys, a sport-tuned suspension, larger front brakes, LED fog lights, LED taillights, dual-zone automatic climate control with a clean air ionizer, alloy pedals, pushbutton start, a welcome lighting system, and a cooling glove box.
My test car’s SX Luxury trim ($30,280 with destination) added the automatic transmission, plus a sunroof, leather upholstery, Xenon HID headlights, ventilated driver’s seat, navigation, a heated steering wheel, and an enhanced instrument multi-information cluster.
For those who desire a sporty looking and fun to drive car but don’t want to give up the practicality of a good compact sedan, the Kia Forte Koup offers one of the few real alternatives out there. Sure, without rear doors it’s not quite as practical as a sedan, but it’s not far off. It’s certainly miles ahead in the style department, and genuinely good fun to drive.
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