Kia has traveled to the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada, to introduce an outlandish new concept based on the Forte Koup.
Working jointly with New Jersey-based tuner Lux Motorwerks, the South Korean automaker has turned the econobox into a mud-bogging off-roader whose design is inspired by the American South. Kia has added four inches of lift, 28-inch tires wrapped around 15-inch Revolver wheels, riveted fender flares on all four corners and a bull bar up front. Interestingly, the Forte also gains a long panoramic sunroof with a vinyl top.
Kia hasn’t published pictures of the concept’s interior, but it promises the cabin has been stripped down to the bare essentials. The builders removed the carpet, lined the floor with a protective coating, and installed a pair of Sparco bucket seats with four-point harnesses for the front passengers. Finally, a roll cage keeps the occupants safe if things take a turn for the worse.
What the Forte mud-bogger is powered by is anyone’s guess.
Like all of the wild concepts that Kia is showing at SEMA this year, the Forte Koup Mud Bogger is merely a one-off model designed for the auto show circuit. It won’t be given the green light for production, and it’s not a preview of an upcoming economy car on stilts.
Live images by Ben Hsu.
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