Koni Is Finally Making Coilovers
Strut and shock powerhouse Koni is adding coilovers to its catalog, and that’s big news for enthusiasts.
Koni shocks and struts have been a go-to for many modders for years. They tend to give you a nice little handling upgrade without majorly compromising ride quality or costing too much. I've always been surprised that the company didn't make coilovers, the next step up from traditional shocks and struts. Now that that's been rectified, it'll be interesting to see how they perform.
For those who aren't familiar with the differences between shocks, struts, and coilovers but have heard the name "Koni" and are intrigued, I'll do a very quick contextual crash course:
Shocks are your car's fluid-filled tubes that absorb bumps in the road. Struts are pretty much just what you call shocks when a spring is wrapped around them (this means they're also holding the weight of the car). Coilovers look like struts, but the spring and dampener are one unit. In a practical sense, the main advantages of coilovers are adjustability and a broader range of good performance. By that I mean, they tend to do a better job of providing good ride quality and aggressive performance at the same time.
All that said, there are plenty of cheap coilovers on sale that suck. Honestly, I usually tell people to grab some Koni shocks and a high-quality spring over cheap coilovers ... which is kind of why this news from the company caught my eye and I bet many of my fellow modders will agree. I run Koni STR.T shocks and struts with Tein High.Tech springs on my Civic Si, and I've been very pleased with both their responsiveness and comfort for what they cost.
Koni entering the coilover game means there could be a very compelling new suspension option hitting the market for a bunch of cars, as long as that bang/buck reputation is lived up to.
Koni trotted out its new line of GTS coilovers at SEMA 2023. The company's press release promises that sales should begin in Feb. 2024. Twenty initial applications are planned, six of which were on display at the show.
The Toyobaru (Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ), current Honda Civic, Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, VW Golf Mk7 and Mk8, and at least one BMW application will be available off the bat. Koni's rep told me that more car fitments would follow soon, along with an announcement on pricing.
As I mentioned earlier, Koni shocks and struts are typically the "good bang for your buck" option—not cheap but well within the obtainable range for many casual car modders.
These will be for street/track setups, targeting a balance between performance and ride quality. Features include "rebound damping adjustable valving, linear lowering and helper springs, and ride height adjustable spring perches." Koni states you should be able to set a 1" to 4" ride height drop depending on your application.
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