First Drive: 2010 Kia Forte Koup

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Story and photos by John LeBlanc

MIRABEL, Québec –"Desire." A word you wouldn't associate with any Kia products in the decade-and-a-half the maker's been selling cars here.

Any sales success South Korea's oldest car company has had in Canada can be directly related to offering low-ball pricing (cheaper than a Hyundai!) and the comfort of an extra-long factory warranty (Five-years! 100,000 km!).

So far, the practical approach has been more than successful.

Whereas new car sales for the first seven months of the year in Canada are down 6.4 per cent compared to a year ago, Kia sales are up 29.6 per cent.

But the Hyundai-owned brand wants to offer products you not only "need," but also "want."

Hence the recent onslaught of new and more distinctively designed products, like the squareback 2010 Soul compact wagon, crisp-looking Forte sedan and this new Forte Koup two-door.

The big question is: Will new-car buyers accept Kia's upmarket aspirations?

One evident change at the introduction of the new 2010 Forte Koup was in the pricing department.

Like its compact two-door coupe rivals (Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Honda Civic), the Koup (a marriage of "Kia" and "coupe") will be offered in mild and (relatively) wild models. But the Kias aren't the cheapest cars in the class.

Unlike the base $15,695 Forte LX four-door, trim levels for the front-drive Koup start one rung up with the $18,495 EX – $3,170 more than a base Cobalt.

But the payback is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with class-leading 156 hp and 144 lb.-ft. of torque, and more standard equipment than not only the base Forte sedan, but also its coupe competitors.

Air conditioning, height adjustable driver's seat, remote keyless entry, telescopic steering column, cruise control, power windows, door locks and heated mirrors, heated front seats and alloy wheels are all included.

Kia said here at the Canadian launch event that if the demand is there, they may introduce a less expensive, i.e. less well-equipped LX, Koup next year.

The so-called sportier $21,495 Koup SX adds a bigger engine, leather seating, steering wheel and shift-knob, sunroof, metal pedals and metal finish trim, lower profile wheels and tires, plus an extra gear to the EX's five-speed manual transmission. (An optional five-speed automatic transmission is available in both Koup models.)

Compared to the $26,880 Honda Civic Si or $25,445 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Turbo, sport compact fans may think the Koup SX is a deal. Beyond the standard kit, though, it lags in performance.

The Koup SX's upgraded 2.4-litre four delivers 173 hp and 168 lb.-ft. – 24 hp short of the Civic Si and a whopping 97 hp below the Cobalt SS Turbo. The results are zero to 100 km/h runs in the low-eight-second range for the five-speed Koup SX. That's almost 2.5 seconds slower than the hot-rod Chevy.

Where the Kia does shine is in its refined interior and excellent ride and handling.

We had the opportunity for a day's drive of both Koups on public roads and some laps at the new i-Car race facility at Mirabel airport.

On Montreal's infamously poor pavement, the Koup SX's firmer suspension – with thicker torsion and anti-sway bars than on the base EX – never beat us up. The ride was firm, yet composed. Shock rebound was quite good. And the cabin noise was relatively quiet.

On the airport runway course, impressions behind the Koup SX's steering wheel only got better. All the important driver interfaces – steering, handling, braking, shifting gears – felt robust and well-engineered.

If only the Koup was available with more horsepower.

Kia originally showed a 290 hp Koup Concept at the 2008 New York auto show. Why not drop that turbo-four (now with 210 hp) currently residing under the hood of sister brand Hyundai's Genesis Coupe? Trust us: the Koup SX's chassis could handle it.

Away from the track, the Koup scores as a practical errand runner.

There's 2,568 litres of interior volume, more than the Civic or Cobalt coupes. And for this price segment, interior fit-and-finish is excellent.

Like most two-doors in this segment, the sacrifice is in the rear. Kia sees the Koup as five-passenger (three-across in the back) only for short trips. And we concur.

It may not be able to keep up to a Civic Si or Cobalt SS Turbo in a straight line. But the Koup's more refined interior and driving dynamics certainly make it worth considering.

While waiting to get on the i-Car track, one of the 20-something track workers may have reflected the brand's biggest challenge.

"This is a really good looking car," he said.

Which the Koup is.

"And it seems to get around here pretty good."

Which it did.

"But it's still a Kia, eh?"

2010 Kia Forte Koup

BASE PRICE: EX/SX $18,495/$21,495

ENGINES: 2.0/2.4L I4s

POWER/TORQUE: 156/144 lb.-ft.; 173 hp/168 lb.-ft.

FUEL ECONOMY: city 8.3/9.2 L/100 km (34/31 m.p.g.); hwy. 5.8/6.2 (49/46 m.p.g.)

COMPETITION: Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Honda Civic.

WHAT'S BEST: Lots of standard kit; excellent chassis; refined and roomy interior.

WHAT'S WORST: No longer a price leader; chassis could use more power.

WHAT'S INTERESTING: Koup designer Peter Schreyer's resumé includes the last Audi A6 and original TT

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