2010 Kia Forte Koup: A Canadian premiere
Kia Canada Inc. invited Canadian automobile journalists to a day-long test drive of the brand new 2010 Kia Forte Koup that included a spin on the track at Mirabel’s ICAR Motorsport Complex.
It was a wise decision indeed that was welcomed by Kia’s Canadian bigwigs, who make 40% of all their Canadian sales in Quebec.
Peter Schreyer: New Head Designer
As is often the case when a manufacturer introduces a brand new product to auto journalists, we started off with an information session on the new vehicle’s main features before we actually got behind the wheel.
What’s more, we also got to meet with Peter Schreyer, the Head Designer of Kia Motors Corp., who previously occupied the same position at Volksawagen/Audi where he earned a reputation as an excellent designer mainly on the strength of the aesthetics of the Audi A6 and TT, in addition to the very well designed Volkswagen New Beetle.
Today, he’s again at the international forefront as the designer behind the very boxy shapes of the Kia Soul, which as a very unique “love it or hate it” style.
Schreyer also took this opportunity to give us an overview of Kia’s new products, such as the new Forte sedan, the Forte Koup and the 2010 Sorento Crossover, which is entirely redesigned and will be available shortly.
Finally, he couldn’t finish his presentation without talking to us about the Kia’s brand new design philosophy, which more than ever is trying to distance itself from the style of Hyundai models. Furthermore, he introduced the “VG” concept sedan that was presented at the last Seoul Auto Show and features dimensions that are very close to those of the large Hyundai Genesis but with a much sportier and more aggressive style.
En route for the ICAR Motorsport Complex
We had a whole slew of new 2010 Kia Forte Koup models at our disposal; some 40 2010 models were thrown to the ravenous auto journalists that were present at this event. All versions were present and accounted for:
EX: 2.0-litre engine, 156-hp CVVT with a five-speed manual gearbox
EX: 2.0-litre engine, 156-hp with a four-speed automatic gearbox
SX: 2.4-litre engine, 173-hp CVVT with a six-speed manual gearbox
SX: 2.4-litre engine, 173-hp CVVT with a five-speed automatic gearbox
On the road, both versions are very different and each target what you could call opposite clienteles.
The Forte Koup EX is made for a clientele on the hunt for a good-looking, well-proportioned coupe that will be able to go anywhere in complete tranquility. Its performance is very reasonable without being at all sporty. It’s also the most comfortable version. Accelerations with the automatic transmission are a bit tight but they’re better with the manual transmission.
As for the SX, it’s clearly destined for a younger clientele looking for an attractive sport coupe. It’s slightly less comfortable, particularly for those in the backseat. Its handling is much more appealing and sportier. You’ll have to expect higher fuel consumption compared to that of the bottom-end model.
These are two vehicles that offer impeccable soundproofing – even more expensive cars could learn a thing or two from them in this area. The sporty design of the passenger compartment can seat four passengers, with two generous and comfortable front seats and two very low and rather narrow rear seats. This very attractive coupe has a body roof that is both low and pushed toward the back, which means that visibility is limited, especially when reversing.
At the track at ICAR
The track at the ICAR Motorsport Complex includes multiple turns that are often very tight and relatively close together and there is a notable absence of long straight lines. Our colleagues and high-level drivers Jacques Bienvenue and Jacques Deshaies enjoyed themselves behind the wheel of 2010 Kia Forte Koups. They wanted to see if these coupes had any guts on this ultra-winding circuit and I can tell you that, from what I saw, they can clearly hold their own, especially the sportiest version, the SX.
However, I would like to remind you that it was seasoned race car drivers who were testing these cars...
At a dealership near you
The new 2010 Kia Forte Koup is already available in Canada and at a very reasonable price, unless you want to get it with more elaborate equipment...
Version EX: $18,495
Version SX: $21,495
