Say Goodbye to Kia Forte Koup As This Sedan-Based Two-Door Variant Is Getting The Axe

The Kia Forte Koup is being discontinued as confirmed by the automaker's spokesperson. This comes after weak consumer demands of small cars, high demands for SUVs, and of course cheap gas.

James Hope, Kia spokesperson, confirmed to CarsDirect the automaker's decision to ax the sedan-based two-door variant. The decision was made to better align the brand's buyer's purchasing trends. Thus, there will be no 2017 model for the 2-door variant. 

The Kia Forte Koup has one part of only a handful of models that offers a bit sportier alternative cars priced under $20,000 range. In fact, these affordable coupes that are mode sedan-like than sports car-like are now even harder to find.

But James Hope added that KMA is still committed to "maintaining competitiveness and leadership in the compact car segment." This is why when Kia revealed the refreshed 2017 Kia Forte compact sedan alongside the Forte4 hatch at the 2017 Detroit auto show, the automaker didn't showcase a new 2-door version.

Also, James Hope pointed out, "Sales of the compact Forte model line reached new heights in 2016, and through the first quarter of 2017, Forte sales are up nearly five percent over last year's record pace." But the demise of the Kia Forte Koup has been sort of unsurprising as this specific model has been quite overshadowed by the face-lifted 2017 Forte and the revamped Honda Civic Coupe, which by the way has better fuel economy, more features, and roughly has the same price tag.

Now that Kia Forte Koup is out of the picture, almost, the Honda Civic Coupe is the last C-segment coupe option if you really want an affordable coupe that isn't much positioned as a sports car. Honda is offering both the Accord Coupe and of course Civic Coupe. Oh, and there's the Toyota Camry coupe that as old as you eldest daughter and the Nissan Sentra or Altima, but Nissan hasn't made those in ages.

But if you really still want the Kia Forte Koup, then better search far and wide. The 2016 model had a base 2.0-liter inline-4 engine that was good for 173 horses or a turbocharged 1.6-liter that deliver 201 horses and 195 lb-ft of torque, both of which are mated to a standard six-speed manual.