Kia Forte Koup – First Look

I’m going to come right out and say it: Kia is making exciting cars. Stylish, reliable cars. Cars people can afford. Never has the brand looked so poised to take market share from the bigger automakers. In all of my years writing about vehicles, the strides Kia has made in the past several years are more impressive than I’ve seen from any car company. Ever.

A lot of exciting models have made their way to Kia showrooms and the top of car shoppers’ minds recently, including the fresh-look Kia Soul and the Spectra-replacing Kia Forte. Now Kia is extending their new offerings further, adding a sports car to the family by way of the Kia Forte Koup. Recently I had the change to head to one of my local Waukegan dealers and take a Waukegan Kia Forte Koup test drive.

The Koup (get it, because Kia starts with a “K”) is a serious kar. While the Forte Sedan is a handsome, practical ride. The Koup version is nothing short of dynamic in its look. With a lower roofline than the sedan and a different, shorter  rear design, the Chicago Kia Forte Koup I was playing with definitely caught my eye immediately. So many coupes are ill-contrived, chopped versions of an existing sedan. Kia did not get lazy with the design on this. In fact, you may find it reminding you of some Audi design language. Well, that’s because there is some Audi influence. The lead designer for Kia was swiped away from Audi a few years ago. You know, around the time Kia began the design phase of all these exciting models hitting showrooms now.

Another option I will be interested in when the time comes is the Forte hatchback version that is scheduled to be released next year. I feel like the Forte line is destined for great things. It seems to have taken the appeal of the Hyundai Elantra – affordable, driveable, practical – and added significantly more curb appeal. My guess is I’ll think the Forte hatchback runs circles around the Elantra Touring when it arrives for my viewing pleasure at Waukegan dealers.

Anyway, on to a little about the drive. Trust me I’ve test-driven Kia models for more years than I care to mention – not because I’m so old but because older Kia models were nothing to write home about. But then I had to write home about them. This is no longer an issue, and my Waukegan Kia Forte and Waukegan Kia Forte Koup test drives are perfect examples.

I was really impressed with the handling on this Kia. The stiffness and steering provided a ride more than worthy of a sports coupe. The 173-horsepower, 2.4-liter manual six-speed provided all the necessary mph, and the car was quick enough off the line to satisfy my needs. Someone looking for a racer might have to go elsewhere, but the acceleration the Forte Koup provides will satisfy most coupe shoppers.

The interior was a great combination of quality plastics and Kia’s frech design touches (like the red light-ringed speakers that I first expeienced on my Chicago Kia Soul test drive). Not too cramped (at 6’2″ I still had plenty of head and leg room and didn’t feel all kouped up), very comfortable leather seats (and the cloth seats were very nice also), and good visibility all around (something not universal in coupes). Overall, my Waukegan Kia Forte Koup test drive left me liking even more the direction in which Kia is going and looking forward to the next new Kia.