The Forte Hatchback will also feature a new front grill, alloy wheels, paddle shifters and navigation. While it sits lower and exudes a performance stance, Kia says it does not compromise on practicality or space.

Kia fans in North America have made it clear they want the Forte, at least based on responses to the Koup at events like 2010′s New York International Auto Show. Kia’s sportier designs and more powerful engines are making it an up-and-coming company that the competition should keep an eye on.

Details are scarce but two engines are available in the form of a 2.0-liter and a 2.4-liter. Power figures were not supplied. Transmission choices are a new 6-speed manual and an automatic.

All Koups have lots of standard equipment, including six airbags, stability control, power locks and windows, iPod integration, and Sirius satellite radio. Stepping up from the base $17,290 EX to the $18,390 SX yields a larger, 173-hp 2.4-liter that’s far smoother than the base 156-hp 2.0-liter (which gets pretty gritty near its redline) and an additional ratio in each of the available transmissions—a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic.

With the manual, the SX has class-leading acceleration: 0 to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. And despite the fact it’s one of the last to retain a torsion-beam rear suspension—along with an extremely disproportionate weight distribution (64 percent of the Koup’s 2933 pounds are on the front wheels)—the Koup is reasonably competent, and understeer at the limit is merely deliberate, not debilitating. Skidpad grip of 0.89 g on all-season Goodyear Eagle LS2s places the Koup solidly ahead of the compact pack, as does a firm brake pedal that produces stops from 70 mph in 171 feet. But after more than a decade of Kia floppiness, the Koup’s ride is too stiff, as if firmness has been confused with sportiness. Similarly, the throttle is jumpy, making smooth starts laborious.

The directness of the six-speed shifter is a big improvement over the Soul’s sloppier five-speed, but its effort is a tad high. The steering has appropriate heft and a solid on-center feel, although it suffers from vicious kickback in bumpy corners and is not as fluid as a Mazda 3’s, a complaint that pretty much applies to the entire driving experience.