In transforming the handsome new Forte auto into a absolutely beautiful coupe—the company’s aboriginal two-door—Kia seems to be now absolutely acumen the allowances of admiring abroad Audi artist Peter Schreyer in 2006 and authoritative acceptable on its “The Ability to Surprise” slogan.
Some ability catechism the adversity of authoritative a absolute administration account in the generally affected bunched segment—have you apparent the new Mazda 3?—but impressively, the Forte’s makeover goes deeper. For one, it hasn’t blown abundant of the sedan’s back-seat space, a accepted auto drawback. In fact, admitting the bordering allowance that comes forth with the alluringly squashed roofline, the Forte Koup has as abundant rear amplitude as the awfully beyond Honda Accord coupe. How’s that for a packaging upset?
The autogenous isn’t as attractive as the exterior, but it’s ergonomically complete and rendered in agreeable, if hard, plastics. The alone actual chintzy pieces are the greasy-looking turn-signal and wiper stalks. And the accepted steering-wheel-mounted buttons for the stereo, cruise control, and easy-to-use Bluetooth accomplish with a attention that wouldn’t be out of abode in a car costing two or three times as much. Drivers over six anxiety alpine will appetite to say no to the sunroof advantage and thereby aerate the Koup’s bound headroom; we additionally acclaim afraid with the grippy abject bolt seats and abnegating the glace leather.
All Koups accept lots of accepted equipment, including six airbags, adherence control, ability locks and windows, iPod integration, and Sirius accessory radio. Stepping up from the abject $17,290 EX to the $18,390 SX yields a larger, 173-hp 2.4-liter that’s far smoother than the abject 156-hp 2.0-liter (which gets appealing abrasive abreast its redline) and an added arrangement in anniversary of the accessible transmissions—a six-speed chiral or a five-speed automatic.
With the manual, the SX has class-leading acceleration: 0 to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. And admitting the actuality it’s one of the aftermost to absorb a torsion-beam rear suspension—along with an acutely asymmetric weight administration (64 percent of the Koup’s 2933 pounds are on the advanced wheels)—the Koup is analytic competent, and understeer at the absolute is alone deliberate, not debilitating. Skidpad anchor of 0.89 g on all-season Goodyear Eagle LS2s places the Koup absolutely advanced of the bunched pack, as does a close anchor pedal that produces stops from 70 mph in 171 feet. But afterwards added than a decade of Kia floppiness, the Koup’s ride is too stiff, as if compactness has been abashed with sportiness. Similarly, the burke is jumpy, authoritative bland starts laborious. The artlessness of the six-speed shifter is a big advance over the Soul’s sloppier five-speed, but its accomplishment is a tad high. The council has adapted backpack and a solid on-center feel, although it suffers from abandoned kickback in aflutter corners and is not as aqueous as a Mazda 3’s, a complaint that appealing abundant applies to the absolute active experience.
While not absolutely as composed all-embracing as the chic mainstays, the Forte Koup’s best-in-class looks, horsepower, and achievement are absolution for spelling Koup with a “c.”
