Kia to Launch KOUP Concept Based Coupe in 2009

Kia KOUP Concept in New York

Their first coupe

By Clinton Deacon
July 1, 2008 3:00 PM
Filed Under: Kia, Rumours

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

Source: autonews

Comments

lucifa
July 1, 2008 3:29 PM
cut-price civic type r, anyone?

BabyMilo
July 1, 2008 3:29 PM
i dont like it... they make it look all flashy and stuff but then they come with a standard normal kia that they have tried to make look like the concept but failed misrably

bt21d
July 1, 2008 4:59 PM
Don't say the KIA is ugly, think about one think, think no, go see the cars of KIA a few years ago... u gonna see the cars are ugly, this is a cool car, i hope the inside are so cool than the out side... i sorry one thing, its a concept, couldn't be like this images but worth then u think... but the concept are realy nice.

dmanero
July 1, 2008 7:00 PM
oh pleeeease, it's a honda civic with a few changes. who are they trying to kid.

RS5
July 1, 2008 8:57 PM
Ugly car. Why are Kias resembling Fords these days. They're better than that.

pzigly
July 1, 2008 9:50 PM
Wow!!! Even the ugly look of Honda's steering wheel was stolen!!!

mortz
July 2, 2008 4:02 AM
It sits to high and the wheels look out of proportion with the car (to big) but not to bad for kia.

LMS
July 2, 2008 9:54 AM
I love this car. If I can afford it (taking into consideration the 85% tax we pay here) I'd get one.

Some design cues were copied, sure, but the end result is still a totally unique car.

Motul19
July 2, 2008 12:40 PM
hahahahah thats a civic type-r!

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