Kia has announced plans to reveal six six America-themed concept cars at this year’s edition of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show. One of them is a Forte Koup-based off-roader called Mud Bogger that pays homage to the American South.
The Forte Koup Mud Bogger is undoubtedly one of the most outlandish cars that Kia has ever built. Starting with a stock Forte Koup, the automaker has added a bull bar with a row of LED lights, black fender flares, special mirrors, and, last but not least, a massive lift kit. The extra ground clearance is complemented by off-road-ready tires wrapped around wide alloy wheels. All told, Kia explains the concept represents “the inexplicable joy of getting dirty on four wheels.”
Pictures of the cabin haven’t been released yet, but we can tell that the Mud Bogger gains a full roll cage and a set of Sparco buckets seats for the front passengers. Interestingly, Kia has fitted the coupe with a full-length sunroof that stretches the entire length of the roof. The company’s engineers tore out the entire cabin, so the concept likely has a few more surprises up its sleeve.
Whether Kia has made any mechanical modifications to the Mud Bogger is up in the air. The regular-production model on which it’s based is available with either a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 173 horsepower and 154 pound-feet of torque, or a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-banger that delivers 201 ponies and 195 lb-ft. of twist. Front-wheel drive is the only configuration available, at least outside of the SEMA show.
Kia will publish full details about the Forte Koup Mud Bogger and more pictures of it in the coming days. The wild concept is a one-off that was designed specifically for SEMA, and it wasn’t built to preview an upcoming production model.
