Enter Kia's first two-door as its lineup fills out.
The transformation of automaker from utilitarian conservative to something with a little more, well, soul takes years, if not decades. Kia Motors America (KMA) is hoping that the 2010 Forte Koup production car that debuted today in New York will help move the brand best known for its 100,000 mile warranty into higher levels of consideration for its Forte lineup from existing Honda and Toyota owners.
The company’s first two-door coupe follows a design direction first seen on the concept version of the Soul urban passenger vehicle in 2006. Compared to other coupes in the segment or even its own production Soul, the Koup is but a half-step toward the stated goal of more emotional and sporty appeal. What is an admittedly big step on this journey for Kia isn’t all that daring in a global car wars context. The Koup looks to me ‘European conservative “of a generation ago, without the fast sloping roof and sculpted bodysides that are currently in fashion.
“We believe our new design evolution coupled with standard Kia value and safety features will continue to attract customers to the Kia brand,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing, KMA.
With a wheelbase of 104.3 inches, an overall length of 176.4 inches, an overall width of 69.5 inches and overall height of 55.1 inches, Forte Koup is a bit shorter in length and height than the Forte sedan. The compact still has for up to five, smallish, passengers. Koup’s lowered stance provides better aerodynamics and look then the sedan has. Standard for the Forte Koup EX are body-color bumpers, power heated outside mirrors with integrated turn signals and 16-inch alloy wheels with P205/55R16 tires. The SX trim offers a more aggressive profile, with 17-inch alloy wheels paired with P215/45R17 tires.
Built on a front-wheel-drive unit body frame, Forte Koup uses the same platform as the sedan, with an independent front suspension with MacPherson struts and front stabilizer bar and a torsion beam rear suspension with struts and coil springs — the tried and true econobox set-up. An engine-speed-sensitive, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system should help provide the most advantageous amount of assist for varying road conditions. The SX trim model also comes with a sport-tuned suspension providing for a firmer ride with reduced body roll and improved handling.
The Forte could be Kia's first car line that tops 100,000 annual sales in the U.S.
Kia says the unit body achieves high torsional stiffness, which in theory provides the Forte Koup better handling, smoother ride quality and greater refinement than its competitors. There’s a “specially tuned suspension developed to optimize responsive handling on curvy roads.” A comfortable ride with good noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) reduction qualities is claimed. The veracity of these assertions awaits test drives, as the company in the past has had integration issues.
While refinement might still be an issue, motivation is not. More powerful than the Honda Civic Coupe, Ford Focus Coupe or Chevrolet Cobalt Coupe, Forte Koup EX has a 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine, producing 156 horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque. There are nice technical features such as Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) and multi-port electronic fuel injection.
The SX has an upgraded 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, also with CVVT, which delivers 173 horsepower and 168 pound-feet of torque, more than the Scion tC. Both engines have dual exhaust outlets.
As on the Forte sedan, two transmission options are available, a standard five-speed manual transmission or an optional electronically-controlled four-speed automatic transmission (EX models). The SX model features a standard six-speed manual transmission and an optional five-speed automatic transmission.
The 2.0-liter engine offers 25/34 mpg (EPA city/highway) when mated with either the five-speed manual transmission or the optional four-speed automatic. Those opting for the more powerful 2.4-liter engine will see a window sticker of 22/32 mpg with the six-speed manual and 23/31 when paired with the five-speed automatic transmission.
Pricing is not yet determined given the turmoil in the market. But the sedan will likely range between $14.000 and $18,000 in sticker prices. This means that I expect one version of the Koup at under $14,000 and one above that point, depending on how the competition is priced and what the market looks like. While no sane executive would predict sales volumes, I will. The Forte could be Kia’s first car line that tops 100,000 annual sales in the U.S. with Koups taking, oh, 15% of that. It’s an important addition to a lineup that now includes 12 vehicles, ranging from cars, crossovers, minivans and SUVs, where the Spectra running at about 70,000 annual sales and transaction prices of $12,000 to $14,000 is the current volume leader.