Early next year, US market will get a new four-door compact sedan from Kia, which will replace the current generation Spectra model. Available in two variants, as a four-door sedan or a two-door coupe, the car will benefit from a more powerful four-cylinder engine! Until it goes on sale, there are still a few months from now, but first information on the US-spec model has just been revealed.

According to Motortrend, next generation Spectra sedan will be packing larger four-cylinder engine. The current 2.0L unit willl be replaced by 2.4L Theta engine, featuring more horsepower and torque than the current one. This engine upgrade will add a noticable 24hp to the current engine numbers in will push it’s final horsepower rating to 162 (hp).

In addition to the four-door sedan, Kia also plans to bring a sportier and more dynamic two-door Spectra model to the US market. Kia’s first coupe will replace 5-door Spectra hatch and is expected to hit the showrooms two to three months later than sedan does.

Those who have seen the production ready two-door model state it looks fantastic and strongly resembles Kia Koup oncept. The Koup concept has first appeared at the auto show in New York in April and is currently on display at SEMA auto show in Las Vegas.

Having an all-new architecture, more powerful engine and completely new design, Kia’s new compact sedan presents a dramatic departure from the current generation Spectra. Therefore, Kia has also been considering to replace the Spectra name with either a Forte (current Spectra name in South Korea) or Cerato (current Spectra name in Australia and other markets overseas). But the Spectra name is not out of game just yet and it’s possible Kia will retain it’s current name. [Source: Motortrend]

Do you think Spectra needs a new name? Which one do you think fits this car the best?