By Ewan Kennedy
KIA may have timed its entry into the affordable coupe market just right.
While this is a market segment that has been stagnant for the past decade – witness the quiet withdrawal of the Toyota Celica, Honda Integra, Ford Cougar and the like – there are signs that coupes might be about to make a comeback.
That’s partly due to the fear of rapidly rising fuel prices that are putting some buyers off big SUVs and utes, but also because fashion by its very nature is fickle.
Kia reckons coupes might be the next big thing and are about to hit our roads again, so has designed a coupe called Koup.
Though its full title is Cerato Koup and the car is badged to say so, the Koup should be regarded as a model in its own right.
The most astonishing thing of all about the Kia Koup is the price.
Just $23,690, plus on-road costs puts a pretty little sports coupe in your garage thus not only giving you something that you will enjoy owning but also a car that’s able to perform as a family car if the kids are in their pre-teen stage.
The Koup isn’t as cramped in the rear as you might expect for a vehicle in this class, being able to seat two adults without a crush.
Access is relatively easy when compared to getting out through the same limited space.
Also, to move the front seat forward there’s only the usual seat handle on the right side of the seat base. We’d like to see a second handle on top of the front seats.
Kia Koup’s boot is a good size for a travelling couple with 358 litres of space and there’s a 60/40 split for the rear seat which adds more room if needed.
If you want an automatic transmission, which is a four-speed unit, it will add a further $2000 to the bill, but it’s still a bargain priced vehicle.
Once settled into the driver’s seat you soon notice that vision is good all-round thanks to the frameless doors that reduce blind spots. However, the seat belt is a long stretch over your right shoulder thanks to the door length.
The seats are supportive and a little sporty. The driver’s seat has height adjustment, and this is complemented by height and reach adjustment on the steering wheel.
The instrument cluster uses a trio of large circles and the dials are easy to read. An information centre at the bottom of the cluster gives details of trips, fuel usage, engine temperature, distance to empty and doors open.
Apart from sharing its bonnet with the Cerato sedan, every panel on the Koup is different. It has the new Kia ‘family-look’ grille named after its designer, Peter Schreyer.
As well as the frameless doors, usually found on more up-market marques, there are vertical style fog lamps and a dual exhaust.
Kia Koup is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 115 kW, and 194 Nm of torque at 4300 rpm.
The engine gets the Koup to 100km/h 9.3 seconds after it leaves the line. Hardly the stuff that sports cars are made of, indeed many family sedans are quicker but I’m still loving that low price tag…
Our main complaint with the Koup manual is that the hair trigger accelerator combined with a clutch that grips early in the pedal travel means that first-gear starts, until you get the knack, can be a little untidy.
On road the Koup is quiet, even at speed. It sits comfortably at 120km/h and the engine revs easily out to 6000rpm as you push through the lower gears.
Parking in tight spots is a breeze and driver vision is reasonably good, given the nature of coupe design.
The car points well into corners with a hint of understeer. But the rear seems a little unsettled when cornering on uneven surfaces and at times when pushed hard into corners the suspension seems a little ponderous.
Steering wheel controls include simple to use cruise and audio controls.
The finish is largely a black plastic affair but there are flashes of red stitching on the steering wheel and padded armrests and gear lever console.
There’s also a storage compartment-cum-armrest between the comfortable seats.
In the hot Queensland sun the air-conditioning took 33-plus heat in its stride. The centre console is capped by a glass face which, along with soft metal and chrome coating finishes, breaks up the dark but not drab interior.
Much of the equipment you would expect on a more expensive model is standard in the Koup – keyless remote entry, MP3-compatible CD audio, auxiliary inlet with iPod compatibility, cruise control, fog lamps, climate-control air conditioning, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shifter knob and six function trip computer.
The Koup comes with electronic stability program, rear park assist, ABS brakes, with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution.
Six airbags are standard including a full-length side curtain airbag, linked to roll-over sensors and active head restraints standard on front seats.
Korean-built cars have come a long way in the quality stakes in recent years and the Koup is no exception.
The quality of plastics and trim quality have lifted considerably, as has body build accuracy.
Koup is backed by Kia’s unlimited kilometre five year warranty for private buyers and 130,000 km, five year warranty for business and commercial vehicles, not that we expect the Koup to fall into the latter category.
To inspect the Kia range contact Berwick Kia, 2-12 Clyde Road, Berwick. Phone 9796 1777.
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