NEWS & EVENTS

People want stuff. Kia knows that stuff can close the sale, especially if you offer more stuff for less money than your competition. The 2014 Kia Forte Koup completes the Forte upgrade cycle, joining the Forte sedan and 5-door. The list of stuff begins with the jewelry applied to the handsomely swept-back body, which looks more German than even some German brands do. Swiping Audi's designer-guy will do that for you. LED lighting elements are this year's new black, so the Forte Koup features them as accents in the head an tail light positions. Alloy wheels are standard for either trim, with the EX rolling on 16s and SX models jumping a couple inches to standard 18s. Instead of blue-tinted bulbs or a retrofit kit from Blind-O-Rama, you can get either Forte Koup trim with real factory HID headlamps. The SX is supposed to be the sporty sister, which explains the sharper-fanged front fascia and black gloss grille elements. Functionally, the SX's carbon fiber accents net you nothing, but the larger brakes help transform kinetic energy to heat. There's nothing very special under the bodywork, which is doing its best to suggest otherwise, the Forte Koup is a sharp looker made from an everyman sedan. Then again, the first-generation Volkswagen GTI had struts in the nose and a beam axle out back, and nobody would call that a dud. It'd be damn shame to have a car that looks this good but can't back up its swagger, but driving one will tell the tale. Prediction: the Forte Koup will snap crania to headrest smartly. The Koup SX packs more horsepower (201 hp and 195 lb-ft) from its 1.6-liter turbo four than a Corvette (okay, an '81). Oh yeah, the Forte Koup EX has a 2.0-liter four with 173 hp and 154 lb-ft, but you should get the turbo, because you can get it with a six-speed stick. The EX is only available with a six-speed auto. Of course you get stuff inside. Drivers can select their favorite level of steering assist, not much, some, and stun, and the SX has heated