Koup's not just a pretty face

The Koup adds a sexy note to Kia's New Zealand sales, especially in hot red. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

Kia's Koup certainly adds a sexy note to the brand's burgeoning New Zealand sales. It looks its hottest in acid green, with black wheels and window tints - like a concept car newly escaped from a show.

Mind you it's almost as effective in red: "Go as good as it looks?" was an often-asked question during its stay.

For the Koup's lines are a world away from the sensible Cerato that supplies its underpinnings and mechanicals. The car looks sleeker, with all new panels - bar the bonnet - imparting a swooping roofline 60mm lower than its sedan sibling, thanks to a 50mm reduction in roofline and suspension dropped by 10mm.

It's 50mm shorter and 10mm narrower too, though boot space remains a reasonable 336 litres.

The compromise is reduced head room and rear seat space - not that you'd carry passengers for too long as the high waist limits their view out. My 1.8-metre passenger's chrome dome skimmed the roof lining unless he reclined the seat; only the driver has height adjust.

Still, the cabin was handsome, well laid out, nicely built and with just enough frou-frou accents to please. I was looking forward to this ...

The engine's the Cerato 2.0-litre four matched to a five-speed manual transmission punting a fractionally lighter body. This gearbox helps the engine feel strong off the line, though the combination is less energetic at speed and I often wished for another cog.

Not that the handling would reward a livelier delivery. There's nothing wrong with Cerato's suspension equation, it's been designed as a safe and comfortable drive.

Trouble is, Koup's rakish good looks suggest something a little more dynamic. Bit like a supermodel dressed like a long-distance runner, it looks the part but can't quite deliver the goods. Tyre noise is more than I'd like, too.

So no, Koup doesn't go quite as good as it looks, but that's not necessarily a problem.

With Hyundai's coupe and Honda's Integra no longer available, this is the only affordable new coupe for folk seeking a good-looking car, not a hoon-mobile. The sort who dress their vehicles up - or buy a handsome and highly-specced used import with a piddling engine, which will look the part, tackle the daily grind without effort, and won't drink like a thoroughbred.

Which describes this Koup, for despite my hilly commute and attempts to tackle it with vim, we averaged 7.7l/100km for my drive - far less than expected.

Also less than expected, the car's price. It starts at $27,990, with the top SX spec at $33,990, including such goodies as rear park sensors, tinted windows, a leather interior and power sunroof.

So the Kia Koup is not just a pretty face, it's good value too, and that will win it fans who don't care that its performance doesn't quite live up to its visual promise.

Kia Cerato Koup

We like
Sleek good looks, good value for money, pleasant power delivery

We don't like
Looks write cheques the safe-handling Cerato sedan underpinnings and engine can't deliver

Powertrain
2.0-litre four, 115kW at 6200rpm, 194Nm at 4300rpm, five speed manual drives front wheels

Performance
0-100 7.7l/100km (claimed)

Safety
Six airbags, ABS brakes, ESP, reverse warning sensors

What it's got
Leather seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps front and rear, six-stack CD with iPod and USB input, climate control air, power sunroof, steering wheel-mounted cruise and stereo controls, UV tinted glass

Vital stats
4480mm long, 336-litre boot, 52-litre tank