When Kia says its 2010 Forte Koup is completely new, believe it. You might find this difficult to fathom, but Kia has never sold
 Zoom In |
| The Forte Koup is one seriously stylish compact two-door, and it goes well too. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press) |
a coupe before. I can't think of another mainstream brand that has never made a two-door hardtop model, can you?
What a way to get started! Right out of the box the new Forte Koup is arguably the best looking coupe in its compact category, easily outclassing the Chevy Cobalt Coupe, Ford Focus Coupe and Honda Civic Coupe in one purposeful blow, with lines that are so attractive and details so thoughtfully executed that it could easily move up a notch into the entry-level premium segment if it weren't for its brand name.
Yes, Kia won't exactly be vying for the same limelight as BMW and its fabulous little 1-Series, although on looks alone it could.
 Zoom In |
| Nice styling... brilliant detailing. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press) |
It's pretty impressive inside too with a well-designed overall layout boasting an attractively grained soft-touch dash-top, well-lit, nicely detailed gauges framed by a thick, meaty steering wheel with quality ancillary controls for cruise and audio, the latter connecting to Audi-like red-on-black LED displays on the centre stack, further actuated via tightly spaced, nicely damped buttons and metal-highlighted knobs. It's a feast for the eyes and the senses, that audio system enhanced by Sirius satellite radio in my SX, and under the dash easily accessible USB and aux plugs, standard across the line, sitting ahead of a well-placed pocket for your personal device.
Just
 Zoom In |
| Soft-touch dash and high-quality switchgear, the Forte Koup is surprisingly good. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press) |
one look at the well-bolstered black leather seats with racy red stitching and you'll know this isn't your average sporty compact, but rather something that can really manage a slalom course. I had no course at hand, but some local mountain roads did the trick, leaving me impressed to say the least, not only with this SX model's sport-tuned suspension setup augmented by 215/45 R17 all-season tires rolling on 17-inch alloy rims, but it's ability to catch a wayward move in inclement conditions via its standard electronic nannies, traction and stability control.
