Kia Quietly Kills Off a Model You've Already Forgotten About

by Steph Willems

Published: April 29th, 2017

kia quietly kills off a model you ve already forgotten about

We’re not talking about the K900 flagship sedan, as Kia’s luxo barge actually gets people talking — mainly due to its slow sales and LeBron James connection. No, the model lying in the casket this morning bowed out of people’s minds long before it vanished from Kia’s product cycle.

The Forte Koup.

Kia has confirmed there’ll be no future for the two-door variant of its popular Forte, though the writing was on the wall for some time. On the company’s website, too.

According to car-shopping website CarsDirect.com, the Koup’s unsurprising execution comes as Kia revamps its lineup in the face of changing consumer demand. While the Forte posted its strongest sales numbers by far in 2016, demand for entry-level coupes has fallen precipitously from the glory days of the 1980s and ’90s.

“To better align with our customers’ purchasing trends, [Kia Motors America] will discontinue the two-door Koup following the sell-down of remaining 2016 model year inventory,” Kia spokesman James Hope confirmed to CarsDirect.

The attractive little ~~coupe~~ Koup, which bowed in North America for the 2010 model year, never saw a 2017 model — a fact as plain as day for anyone visiting the company’s website. It’s still there, listed as a 2016 model with a pre-delivery MSRP of $19,890. Meanwhile, the model’s sedan sibling underwent design and content changes for 2017 to better position it against the likes of Honda’s Civic and Chevrolet’s Cruze.

The largest nail in the Koup’s coffin — besides a general lack of interest — was the appearance of the vastly updated 2016 Civic coupe. Like its sister division, Hyundai, Kia clearly felt there wasn’t much of a point in going toe-to-toe in the compact two-door category.

As a result of the cancellation, buyers looking for affordable fun might find deals on remaining Koups. The base EX carries a direct-injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 173 horsepower and 166 lb-ft of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Moving up to the SX brings a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-banger (also found in the Hyundai Elantra Sport) and six-speed manual transmission. That engine delivers 201 hp and 195 lb-ft.

[Image: Kia Motors]

#CompactCars #Coupes #DiscontinuedModels #Kia #KiaForte #KiaForteKoup #ProductPlanning

Steph Willems

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2 of 26 comments

Zoomzoomfan on May 01, 2017

201 HP in a small car like that seems like it'd be a fun little commuter bargain. Kia has stepped their game up, that's for sure. I have rented two Souls (it always sounds like you're talking about someone's soul rather than the car) and they were very well built and nice driving cars.

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Jfbar167 on May 01, 2017

Well, I guess if you really want that "A5" wanna be now, you should just go ahead and get a used one (A5). Actually bought one 2 years ago for my college age son (who really is NOT into cars, just needed something more reliable than his 2002 Civic w/135K). Not a bad ride, does just what you need for a daily driver and I DO like the styling.

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