Kia Forte Koup R Package (Official From Canadian Dealers)

Canadian Kia customers get new dealer-installed Forte Koup "R" performance package
by Steven J. Ewing (RSS feed) on Mar 17th 2010 at 8:00PM


Kia Forte Koup with "R" package – Click above for high-res image gallery

In our initial review of the Kia Forte Koup, we were very impressed with the car's overall style and levels of standard equipment, but we wished that the car were a bit more potent on the street. One remedy for that is the "R" package of dealer-installed accessories that Canadian customers can now spec on either the SX or EX model.

Sadly, the R treatment doesn't aim to churn out any more power from the Forte Koup's four-cylinder mill, but it does add things like a performance exhaust, AIM drop-in performance air filter, stiffer springs and a strut tower brace. This healthy bit of tuning should help to make the Forte a bit more involving on twisty roads and the added appearance kit (front skirts, side sills and rear spoiler) and the obligatory badge package gives it a much more aggressive look. Those 18-inch Europa wheels wrapped in Yokohama S-Drive rubber are pretty spiffy, too.

Canadian Forte Koup buyers should be able to add the R package to their cars starting in mid-May, and the optional bits will be available a la carte from any Kia dealership in the country, so kurrent current Kia Koup owners who want to upgrade will be covered, too. Will all or part of the package make it to the States? We hope so. However, no confirmation could be given from Kia's American or Canadian public relations department at this time. A tip of the hat to Chuck!