The Kia Forte Koup Has Been Discontinued

Kia revealed the refreshed 2017 Forte compact sedan and Forte5 hatch at this year’s Detroit auto show, but didn’t have a face-lifted two-door version to show. Now we know why. CarsDirect learned that the Forte Koup won’t live to see the 2017 model year.

In a statement to Motor Trend, Kia confirmed that the Forte Koup is indeed getting the axe.

“Kia Motors America (KMA) is committed to maintaining competitiveness and leadership in the compact car segment as evidenced by recent enhancements to the Forte sedan and Forte5 for the 2017 model year,” a company spokesman said in an email. “To better align with our customers’ purchasing trends, KMA will discontinue the two-door Koup following the sell-down of remaining 2016 model year inventory.”

Kia does point out that the Forte lineup reached new sales heights in 2016. The automaker says Forte sales were also up nearly 5 percent through the first quarter of 2017, and sales were again strong in April with the Forte just behind the best-selling Optima. Kia doesn’t break out body styles, however, so it’s unclear how much the Forte Koup contributed to the model’s success.

With the Forte Koup’s departure, and the Scion tC’s axing last year, that leaves the Honda Civic coupe as the sole remaining C-segment coupe option. The 2016 Forte Koup could be had with a base 173-hp 2.0-liter I-4 or a turbocharged 1.6-liter that made 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque and came paired to a standard six-speed manual. If you really want a Forte Koup, you’d better act fast. Otherwise, you can still pick up a refreshed 2017 Forte sedan or Forte5 hatch.

Source: Kia, CarsDirect

 

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