Kia Cerato Koup reportedly dead, poor sales to blame
Although sales of the Kia Cerato Koup may never have numbered particularly high, reported confirmation of the model’s global discontinuation is still sad news for fans of the sporty-at-heart South Korean two-door.
According to a report from CarsDirect, a Kia spokesperson has confirmed the Kia Cerato Koup – known as the Kia Forte Koup in the US – has been dropped from the global line-up.
Far from sending shockwaves through the industry, the news comes on the back of a history of slow global sales and the model’s quiet exit from the local Australian market 18 months ago – which itself was in repose to poor sales.
Kia Australia media and corporate communications general manager Kevin Hepworth told CarAdvice, while he couldn’t officially confirm the model’s global axing, the move wouldn’t come as a surprise.
Launched locally in late 2009, the first-generation Kia Cerato Koup was previewed by the Koup Concept unveiled at the 2008 New York motor show, and was one of the first Kias to be penned by the brand’s highly respected design guru, Peter Schreyer.
Initially offered in Australia with a 115kW/194Nm naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, this was later joined by a 150kW/265Nm turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, via the addition of the Kia Cerato Koup Turbo in 2013.
Despite selling 531 units in Australia in 2014, 235 were registered in 2015, with a mere 53 changing hands in 2016.
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