CIRCULATING IN WANGARATTA, BENALLA, MYRTLEFORD, BRIGHT, MT BEAUTY, BEECHWORTH, YACKANDANDAH, RUTHERGLEN, CHILTERN AND DISTRICTS
NORTH EAST
February 7, 2014
available online - wangarattachronicle.com.au
PRINTED FORTNIGHTLY — VOLUME 441
Ford Fiesta ST Storypage3
CERATO KOUP: It is the first Kia to come to Australia with turbo power.
Kia Cerato Koup turbo is great fun T
he Kia Koup, or Kia Cerato Koup to give it its full title, has been on sale in Australia since 2009. As the name suggests the Koup is a coupe, a two-door version that’s based on the Cerato four-door sedan. The second-generation Koup arrived here in November 2013 adding some performance substance to its already sporty style in the form of an optional turbocharged petrol engine. Exterior changes from the gen-one Koup are most noticeable at the front where the grille is narrower than before but offset by a wider, ‘open-mouth’ lower air intake. The headlights have been reshaped to meet the smaller grille and sit above new round foglights. The all-new Kia Koup is larger in all exterior dimensions, both length and wheelbase
By ALISTAIR KENNEDY increased by 50mm, height up by 10mm and width by 15mm. A first for Kia the 1.6-litre direct-injection, turbo generates up to 150 kW of power, and torque of 265 Nm with a useful spread between 1750 and 4500 rpm. The standard Koup engine is a naturallyaspirated 2.0-litre unit that is carried over from the first-generation Koup. It has been upgraded to 129 kW of power (from 115 kW) and 209 Nm of torque (from 194 Nm) and will suit those looking for a sporty cruiser that shares the same stylish looks but don’t want to pay extra for performance. Transmission options on both models are six-speed manual and automatic with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters
fitted to the Koup Turbo. Fuel consumption on the combined cycle is listed at 7.7 litres per 100 kilometres from the manual Turbo and 8.0 L/100 km from the auto. We used 8.4 L/100 km during our test of the automatic Koup Turbo. Despite its sleek styling there is a surprising amount of space inside the Kia Koup. It does have five seats but can realistically only cope with three children or two adults in the rear. Small side windows won’t be appreciated by rear seat passengers and could lead to the dreaded boredom with kids back there. Access to the rear seats is helped by the wide frameless doors although they do need caution when opening them in cramped parking areas. One criticism from the previous model has
been addressed with the addition of a handle at the top of the front seats that both folds and slides the front seat forward at the same time. Maximum boot capacity space is 433 litres with a full-size spare wheel under the floor raising the boot floor although there are small storage compartments wrapping around the spare. A 60/40 split for the rear seat can provide extra luggage room if needed. As we’ve come to expect from Kia, the Cerato Koup comes well-equipped, with much of the equipment you find in a more expensive model as standard. As well as the basic safety gear (ESP, multiple airbags, enhanced) this includes hillstart assist; emergency stop signal; front and rear parking sensors; reversing camera with in-dash display; and front and rear fog lamps.
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