Like its Forte5 hatchback sibling,
Kia’s Forte Koup was restyled and got a
newsworthy power upgrade this year in the form of a direct-injected, 1.6-liter
turbocharged four cranking out 201 horsepower; the prerefresh car settled for
173 ponies from a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter. Like the hatch, the Koup
shares the turboed mill with Hyundai’s funky-doored Veloster pseudo-coupe.
Intentionally misspelled name aside, Kia takes the more
conservative approach in this segment, dealing its Koup some added rear leg-
and headroom over the previous edition’s while keeping the exterior design more
conventional than that of the Veloster. Aesthetically, it’s more in line with
what you see from the Honda Civic and Scion tC coupes.
That’s not to say the Koup isn’t a handsome little thing,
turned out in this case in bright
Racing
Red and carrying the high feature content and competitive pricing we’ve come to
expect from Kia. The front fenders and the hood are shared with the hatchback
and sedan Forte models, and all ride on the same wheelbase and deliver much the
same driving experience.
The Koup’s hot engine comes with the top-spec SX trim; you
get similar looks but a 173-hp 2.0-liter and a lower price in the EX. Parsing
details for those who might have decided on a Forte but are still debating the
body style and transmission choices, this loaded-up manual-transmission SX did
the run to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, about half a second quicker than the
2014 Forte5 we tested with the same
engine and gearbox.
The two-door tipped our scales at 2964 pounds, 54 lighter
than the Forte5 we weighed. As tested, the Koup packed the full boat of
options, which means two packages. The Premium bundle brings a power sunroof,
leather upholstery, heated seats (plus cooling for the driver), a heated
steering wheel, and a couple of other items. The Technology package, which
requires the Premium kit, adds navigation, a high-res driver’s info screen,
dual-zone climate control, and HID headlamps. Each package costs $1800. Add in
accessories like a bumper appliqué, cargo mat, and floor mats, and our
vehicle’s as-tested was $25,285. We got 21 mpg from the hatchback but managed
to finesse 27 mpg from the Koup, which is sort of amazing for our lead-footed
crew. But at 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway (the automatic turbo model is rated
for 30 highway), this is no one’s idea of a fuel-economy special.
As in other Fortes, the adjustable-assist electric
steering—altered via an easily thumbed button on the steering-wheel
spoke—varies effort from board-game spinner to cement-stirring paddle without
adding anything that resembles feel or feedback. It’s responsive, though, being
sharp enough at turn-in and offering progressive operation.
The 0.85 g of grip we recorded on the skidpad is pretty
good, but we noted more understeer than in the manual hatchback. This is
probably attributable to the Koup’s carrying a greater proportion of its mass
over the front axle (61.5 percent versus 60.4). The two-door doesn’t encourage
outrageous freeway on-ramp behavior, but the handling balance is entertaining
enough.
For the price, however, the Mazda 3 2.0-liter hatchback
delivers a more engaging driving experience and a richer-looking cabin
environment, albeit with substantially less power—it’s a full second behind on
the run to 60 mph—and not quite as many features. Of course, it’s also a
five-door. So if what you’re seeking is sub-seven-second thrust, the spiffy
looks of a coupe, and a bunch of small car for the money, the Forte Koup merits
a look. View Photo Gallery
German carmakers are leading the way in terms of diesel
offerings on the U.S. market, but competitors are trying to catch up. Mazda
will soon offer a diesel on the Mazda6 sedan, and Kia
is also considering introducing diesel engines to America. 
“But with EU6 in 2017-18 there would be the same standards
in both Europe and the US, and that gives us a better chance,” he added. Still,
Hendrick said no decision has been taken, but the company is encouraged by
German manufacturers’ diesel sales results.
