By Ghaith Madadha

AMMAN - Ramping up Kia’s stride towards becoming a more desirable and prestigious brand, the Kia Cerato Koup comes fast on the heels of Kia’s seminal Mohave, which firmly established the Korean automaker, as one able to make world class cars outside of its traditional small and compact car areas of excellence. While not steeped in motorsport tradition, Kia has however flirted in the past with sports cars, when they produced a licenced and re-badged 1990s version of the Lotus Elan.

Whether it was the Elan experience or not, Kia have in recent years also been making bread and butter A- B- and C-segment cars that offer good in-class handling and driver appeal, particularly so with the Rio and the new Cerato. As for the Cerato Koup production car, Kia has tightened the Cerato saloon’s platform and design, with a charismatic, engaging and desirable small coupe being the result.

Sporty and practical

Prettier, more aggressive and athletic in design than its Cerato saloon sister, the Koup’s lasting impression, both visually and in terms of the driving experience, is one of a feisty and fun car. Starting with its deeper and better breathing front bumper and its 10mm lower ride height to its stubbier boot with a 50mm shorter rear over hang, and its more integrated flow with the 50mm lower and more sensual roofline, the Cerato Koup offers aesthetic proportions and an outwardly and distinctively sporting flavour that is best reflected in bright or primary colours including orange, red and navy blue, rather than more anonymous silver and grey derivatives.

The Koup’s two door design and the use of a boot rather than a hatchback enhances torsional rigidity for better handling, but the sportier design translates to slightly reduced access to the generous rear boot.

While boot’s volume has been enhanced with the use of a compact space-saving beam-style rear suspension design, the Cerato Koup also features spacious and comfortable front cabin space, and better than expected rear access and leg and head space, to be able to accommodate two adults in the rear. Front and side visibility is good, and while rear visibility is somewhat restricted, the Koup’s small size and short rear still allow one to accurately place and manoeuvre it in town.

Interior ergonomics, fit and finish were all of a good standard, while instrumentation was clear and sporty and the steering wheel just the right diameter and thickness. Practical and sporty, the Koup’s interior highlights include a USB port, discrete chrome effect inserts and an optional red dashboard panel, as well as supportive and comfortable sports seats with suede-like upholstery and red stitching.

Seductive soundtrack

While not intended to be a full-on performance car, the Kia Cerato Koup does however feature a wonderfully responsive chassis with great feedback, and being lithe, poised and stable at speed, the Koup certainly deserves more powerful versions than currently available.

Launched in 1.6 and 2-litre transverse 4-cylinder format in either 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic for our region, the pick of the crop is however the North American market 174ps 2.4-litre version. Well positioned to compete with more prestigious small coupes like the Renault Megane Coupe, VW Scirocco and Volvo C30, the Koup needs to break the 200PS barrier to directly compete with these models’ range-topping versions.

The 2-litre version tested here features 156ps delivered at 6200rpm, which in the automatic version allows for a reasonably quick 10.5 second 0-100km/h time. Power delivery is progressive in character as is torque build up, which peaks at 143lb/ft at 4300rpm.

With its great reflexes and agility, the Cerato Koup is a joy to drive through winding roads, and is ideal for maintaining momentum, which is essential in twisty hill climbs, where the automatic version tested would benefit from a fifth gear or a more aggressive second ratio, as through some uphill corners second can be too high at 1551:1 and doesn’t offer the torque or power required for the situation.

Driving fast in the Koup requires one to often redline the revs in first and enjoy its rather exotic soundtrack owing to re-worked throttle body and engine management, but a fifth gear would allow for better acceleration, economy and let one better exploit its great chassis. Responsive and quick in changes, the Koup’s auto box allows for spirited and smooth on-the-move highway acceleration in third and fourth, which would also improve with re-worked ratios and a fifth gear.

Driven with commitment

Featuring several subtle but effective upgrades to its saloon sister, the Cerato Koup comes with firm gas-charged dampers, wider front suspension lower arms and increased castor angle for more precise steering feel, and as a result redefine the Cerato from good handling family saloon to a focused and engaging road racer. Eschewing a more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension, the Koup’s lighter and more compact torsion beam axle design is however a particularly good example of that technology, and provides a stable high speed ride, and planted and poised cornering manners.

With several handling options to choose from, the Koup is better served with traditional and more engaging but less efficient hydraulic power steering rather than electric, while money would be better spent speccing the rear disc brake option for shorter and sharper stopping ability, and the wider and lower profile 215/45R17 tyre option for better grip.

Manoeuvrable in town, the Cerato Koup can, however, feel a bit firm at low speeds and over rougher stretches of road, but when pushed close to its limits, the Koup truly shines as its chassis gels together for a spectacular driving experience. Driven fast through tight winding country lanes, the Koup feels razor sharp, even through the less-than-perfect Seoul to Chuncheon B-roads where handling was tight, poised and exact, with sharp and concise reflexes swift recovery through a series of tight corners.

With nimble and agile handling, the Koup’s firm damping provides taut body control, while its suspension and steering offer terrific feedback and precision. Offering high grip levels, the Koup is very resilient to slippage, but when the tyre squealing grip limit runs out, handling and understeer are predictable, responsive and easily correctable, while its rear stays firm and planted through the hardest corners, making the Koup a reassuring and exhilarating car to drive with commitment.