Kia to Launch KOUP Concept Based Coupe in 2009

The Kia Spectra will be replaced with an all new model next year, and for the first time in its history Kia will offer a coupe variant in its range. The near production form of the KOUP Concept from this year's New York Auto Show always pointed towards a production version in the not too distant future, and today those suspicions have been confirmed after Lee Hyun-soon, president of Hyundai-Kia Motors' R&D division confirmed the coupe.

Initially the new model will be available as a sedan before offering the coupe a few months later replacing the existing hatchback version due to Kia's belief that the coupe will sell better.

Kia are yet to confirm if the name Spectra will be retained for the new generation, but considering the model is Kia's best selling car in America with 35,826 sales from January to May this year (up 18.6%) we would expect it to stay.

Kia appear to be putting great emphasis on their assault on the US market, they have just opened a $130 million design center creating up to 600 new jobs in the process and we will see their product portfolio further extended with the release of the boxy Kia Soul in the Spring of 2009