More detailed photos of the Kia Forte have been revealed thanks to its Korean introduction. Those have been keeping up with the news will know that the Kia Forte is Kia’s C-segment contender replacing the Kia Spectra/Kia Cerato. It was previewed as a 2-door coupe concept called the Kia Koup Concept. In the Korean market. the Forte is available with two engines – a normally aspirated 1.6 litre petrol engine producing 124 horsepower and another 1.6 litre turbodiesel producing 128 horsepower. Expect other markets to come with a 2.0 litre normally aspirated petrol engine as well.
Look for more photos after the jump.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
Euro Accord wannabe?
Just WOW..
The best designed korean domestic model to date.
Although got some minor design resemblance to some cars.
It sure looks good. Kudos
minor ???
you should see this car photo in more angle
it got countless shadow of other car
BUT
this is the nicest korean car i ever see
although it got many car shadow
but it is a good combination ,
interior is not so nice ,but still it is better looking than elantra and accent
btw ,this car used the same suspension with elantra
Korean should keep all their luxury car before they launch Kia Forte, or Kia Forte will eat all them up, just like in the advertisement. : )
Kia Forte will be awarded as the next car of the year, anyone agree?
please bring the diesel with a manual stick to our shore… please.. please.. please.. please.. please.. please.. please.. please.. please.. please.. please.. please.. please.. please.. please.. please..
This is going to be awesome…
Hope Naza will bring this in and badge it their own.
This will give City/Vios/Persona runs for its money…
Cheers
it looks nice in all angles. perfect exterior + quality interior.
More and more marques are using this rear end design cues these days.. honda, now kia and chevrolet, to name a few. Play around with gen2 rear design, perhaps proton too can apply to its Waja replacement or Perdana.
This Forte looks really handsome in all angles. Stiff competition for models from these catagory I’d say.
The designer formerly from Audi. That is why we can see some Audi’s element like the rear lamp (like new A4 but slightly bigger). If Naza can price it at around RM69k-RM80k, Vios dan City may face some problem.
Nice Car, by the way, izit same pltform with Hyundai Sonata 2.0? the rear design look only slightly difference.
Nicee.. Good job for the new designer. Got copy here and there but who cares.. as long as the car look good.. Btw, Korean is opposite drive side from us is it?.. Mmm.. i thought Asian country is the same side(e.g japanese..).. I think the price is in the new Jazz or new City. If lower than say goodbye to Vios.. as City will come up with new good looking facelift..
RM80K with the full spec will be the best thing for us.
That picture is not parking assist right? It is just reverse sensors
Isn’t this the equivalent of the Hyundai Elantra we have here?
I want one. Haha
WXX8XX said,
August 27, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
China is LHD too if im not mistaken.
Add Taiwan also.
yes it is nice with many car shadow..
but
1. Will it be more reliable in term of technology
and spare part than old spectra?
2. Will it match japan car technology? well our people like japenese cars
even it shape like dugong right.
Here’s the Korean site – http://forte.kia.co.kr/index.html and it seems within 3 days of launch over 3000 bookings were collected.
As I posted before, the design head is Peter Schreyer, whose resume includes the Audi TT (along with J Mays and Freeman Thomas), VW New Beetle, etc. His job is to oversee the design activities of the company’s regional design centers in Frankfurt, Los Angeles and Tokyo as well as Namyang Design Center in Korea.
DESIGN TRACK RECORD:
VOLKSWAGEN DESIGN/PROJECTS
Concept Cars:
- Concept 1 (New Beetle)
- Concept C (Eos)
- Concept R (Roadster)
- Concept T (Buggy)
- GX 3 (Three Wheeler)
- Microbus
- Ragster
Passenger Cars:
- Golf IV & Variant
- Jetta
- Passat B 5 & Variant
- Lupo & Seat Arosa
- New Beetle
- Golf V & Golf Plus
- Golf GTI & Golf R32
- Jetta
- Passat B 6 & Variant
- Eos
- Compact SUV
AUDI DESIGN/PROJECTS
Concept Cars:
- Quattro Spider
- Audi TT & AUDI TTS
- AL 2 & AL 2 open end
- Steppenwolf
- Allroad Quattro
- Avantissimo
- Rosemeyer
Passenger Cars:
- Audi A2
- Audi A3 & A3 Sportsback
- Audi A4 & A4 Avant + Audi Cabrio
- Audi A6 & A6 Avant + Allroad
- Audi A8
- Audi TT & Audi TT Roadster
Racing:
- R8 racing car LeMans
Lamborghini Design / Projects:
- Murcielago
- Gallardo
SOURCE: http://www.conceptcar.co.uk/news/cardesignnews.php?newsid=44
import cars copy other cars = nice, look good, who cares, i want one, luxury, awesome, bring em here.
proton copy other cars = no idea arr?, fugly, no originality, shame on them, mada mada dane.
well its very obvious that proton cant even be compared with this one.
wait, maybe they can, but price it at rm80k, ya, tats rite.
hvannees said,
August 27, 2008 @ 7:08 pm
This car will be more technologically advance than the popular cheapo malaysian made japanese car. Reliability I can’t say but new Hyundai cars comes with 5 year/300,000km warranty, they must be damn confident with their cars.
WXX8XX said,
August 27, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
Nicee.. Good job for the new designer. Got copy here and there but who cares.. as long as the car look good.. Btw, Korean is opposite drive side from us is it?.. Mmm.. i thought Asian country is the same side(e.g japanese..).. I think the price is in the new Jazz or new City. If lower than say goodbye to Vios.. as City will come up with new good looking facelift..
—————————————————————-
the phillipines is also LHD……..really really nice car……i really wish proton will follow kia’s footsteps…..never mind copy…..just make sure the quality is good….
Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh amazing very nice can proton do it like this im very hope
too bad most malaysian still cannot accept Korean cars. If this model rebadge into Toyota, 101% it will sell like hot cakes. same goes for latest Elantra we have here. the design is much much nicer compare to the new Altis. many people feedback the new altis looks weird. but the sales keep going up. why? toyota badge mah…..
sky said,
August 27, 2008
same goes if gen2 rebadge into honda. sell like goreng pisang panass lar..
Proton is there already in term of engine, suspension, a bit design(for neo, gen-2, persona only..) Need to get rid of the thing like the cheapo2 plastic used for the interior, power window issue..etc.. Please copy from other carmaker, in fact, do please copy from Ferrari/Lamborghini but don’t put 3 spoiler on the roof laa.. shining2 chrome here and there la.. put crappy ‘tampal’ bodykit laa.. exhaust in front la..copy and LOOK GOOD, then i think 80k for a Proton is not a matter anymore.. remember suzuki before there were swift??..
Hyundai-Kia has about 4000 development engineers worldwide. They have R&D centres in North America, Germany, Korea, etc. Can Proton’s products enter and compete in North America & Europe?
nice, even comes with sunroof. hope it comes here. probably sell well.
Naza please debadged and CKDed it here at your Gurun plant. We don’t need the current 5door Spectra hatchback.
Paul,
got any idea when this model will come to our shores? hopefully it’ll get here by july ’09 cos i’m getting a car around that time…
maibatsu_thunder: nice research there… he sure has quite a portfolio… no wonder this car looks sweet
people always prefer toyota & honda due to its resale value. well, put it this way.. if you choose toyota & honda which is RM20-30k more expensive then the equivalent korean cars, you have actually paid additional sum of RM20-30k for the resale value. and this additional cost is built-in into the HP loan. ends up, you are paying extra RM400-500 a mth. make sense?
i rather buy a car cheaper by RM20k, saves depost, installment and prepare to loose a bit when the car is re-sold.
just my humble opinion. but anyway, i think some people are also brand councious..
redliner, I agree with what u said, but another main reason for people to choose Toyota or Honda over Korean or Conti car is because of the fuel consumption. Korean and Conti car are normally much heavier, end up u have to pay extra petrol. Also, Toyota and Honda have gave us good impression on the built quality over the years…I bet u have heard a lot of ppl saying that toyota have good chassis, no kacau blah blah blah…
Proton need to improve their car design and built quality before they can seriously compete with other major manufacturer…Last time, their design focus too much on the look of the car, but failed to deliver practicability at the same time. Now, they improve the practicability, but overall design is still outdated compare with others.
CPS engine is ok, but I think proton need a new gear box to impress the potential owner, particularly the auto gear box…dun give us the basic 4 speed gear box that has been around since, what, 20 years ago??
olowokandi,
malaysians do not mind to pay premium price for the ‘perceived quality’ of honda & toyota (for those who have money). but in US, korean cars are ranked at top 10. some even better than the toyota, nissan, mitsubitshi & suzuki (refer to the following link)
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/Affordable-Small-Cars/
this shows that japanese cars are no longer superior in the world market. it is time for malaysians to learn to accept this fact.
sorry guys, i’m just trying to make a fair assessment here. don’t mean to offend anyone. Cheers!
olowokandi said,
August 28, 2008 @ 9:52 am
Proton need to improve their car design and built quality before they can seriously compete with other major manufacturer…Last time, their design focus too much on the look of the car, but failed to deliver practicability at the same time. Now, they improve the practicability, but overall design is still outdated compare with others.
—————————————————————–
i’m sure proton is VERY MUCH AWARE of the problem since long time ago…but
Maybe after seeing this Honda Malaysia’s guys are working on muscling up the upcoming Midget-Accord City in response. May have to add Mugen parts and all that IMHO. Hahahaha!
olowokandi said,
August 28, 2008 @ 9:52 am
yes bro you’re paying 80k+ for a 4 speed SUPER ECT on a vioooos too!
Copycat. Front Civic, rear audi/lancer. Overall design lancer wannabe. Interior looks good, but no temperature gauge?? wtf!!! Engine at 120+hp?? sounds good. Hate the experience with my friend spectra auto climbing Genting. Merangkak, enjin macam nak rabak!!!
the interior is crap but its a lot better than proton’s
Japanese cars have better fuel consumption!? BS lah the new Kia Optima has better FC than the Civic 1.8L even!! Also, for this so-called resale value thing it’s all BS too!! The used car guys tell you your Korean car is worth less than a Japanese car and you just nod and say yes? Sounds like prejudice to me.
IsaacVky said,
yes bro you’re paying 80k+ for a 4 speed SUPER ECT on a vioooos too!
Yup…that’s why i am not a Vios owner
But, this SUPER ECT gear box is for sure better than proton basic 4 speed gear box. I changed my gear box 3 times in 2 years for my previous wira 1.6 auto…Need more evident?
redliner,
bro, i agree korean car is very much improved, and they can even challenge toyota in terms of quality. What i said is, a lot of ppl choose japanese car because of the impression they have on good quality and fuel consumption. Doesnt mean that they are all correct, but they do think so.
maibatsu_thunder,
I am aware that they claim new Optima have better fuel consumption than Civic too. But I am saying overall, especially the most popular entry level car. For example, vios/city vs accent/spectra/Optra?
As for the re-selling value, this is a market decided thing, not purely based on what the second hand dealer told you. Let say, i want to sell my 3 years old civic i will expect something like 90k+ and there are ppl willing to buy it at that price. But, say i want to sell a 3 years optima, what can i get? My colleague just sold her 3 years old Optima last year, for less than 40K.
I have no problem with korean or conti car. I just mentioned what most ppl in malaysia think. I own a spectra last year too. My experience is, the car is heavy and thirsty.
olowokandi said,
August 29, 2008 @ 11:37 am
AT gearbox on Wira 1.6 is well known for its shitty reliability & durability.
The 4 speed auto box Proton’s using now on Waja Gen 2 etc, Mitsubishi INVECS II is good.
just another point from me..
whether a car is has good fuel consumption or not is sometimes not relevant. if you compare RM80k vios and RM50k persona, although persona is more thirstier than the vios, overall persona is still cheaper to maintain as the installment is cheaper due to the cheaper car price.
lesson: don’t only buy a car due to it’s FC.
olowokandi, yes.. it’s general malaysian thinking. we have to learn to be more open minded like US drivers.
IsaacVky,
thanks for the info. Maybe it is just me, but 4 speed auto is consider outdated now, as others are having 5 or 6 speed tiptronic, DSG, CVT and so on. I admire what Proton did with savvy actually, put a side quality issue, if any, but the Quickshift5 does inject some fun factor to the car.
Are those meter cluster from Mazda 3 or RX-8 ?
No one noticed the red PUSH-TO-START button yet? Hehehe.
the front is from the us civic…rear and side and rims from lexus IS…the meters and centre dashboard from harrier….in fact 70% of the interior looks like harrier…the vertical air con..the meeters…inner doorhandles…etc
i dun think its original…good effort tho
lol the push start button will never make it here……probably thats why no one cares.
nice korean make……its getting better in many aspects except the brand name in malaysia.
few reasons why malaysian buy japs over koreans :
better brand = better resale
better quality = better lah!! (so called)
driving japs = increase in social status, more expensive = richer mah!
better spec and tech = ermm….not too sure bout that……(perceived only)
lastly, its becoz they f*** their own brand in the early stages with crap cars and expensive maintainence/FC.
What makes you think the push-to-start button won’t make it here? It’s a standard feature, not an option. Quality – visit a few showrooms and check the gaps, floor carpet ‘flatness’, etc. and see for yourself. But you’re right, Malaysians will keep swallowing Japanese till kingdom come. Call this Mazda/Nissan/Honda Forte and everyone will kiss the tyres for sure.
nice……… but like conti fan boys like to say “it has no soul”. So how???
Again I can only see design as a pull factor just like a conti cars. Durable?
Reliablity? Proven technology?,Tak dak….. so pointless….. vios\city may be a cheap but you know what to expect but korean and conti “expect the unexpected”. I am sure there are many beg to differ hey prove me wrong with facts.
What korean and conti have in common. ?
1) Both have no resale value.
2) Both are unreliable.
3) Both are not durable.
4) Both are dont have PROVEN technology.Questionable.?????
5) Both have fantastic design to mask their shortfall in the above points.
So why bother?????…..Very cheap then ok lah will consider but nearly the same price as Jap then forget it.
I am sorry I am very hard on Korean and Conti but they forget the core fundemental characteristic of making a GOOD car which is reliability.
What is a point of good handling when the car falls apart or breaks down?.
I agree some Jap car also crap but one thing they all are reliable.
redliner said,
August 29, 2008 @ 2:35 pm
just another point from me..
whether a car is has good fuel consumption or not is sometimes not relevant. if you compare RM80k vios and RM50k persona, although persona is more thirstier than the vios, overall persona is still cheaper to maintain as the installment is cheaper due to the cheaper car price.
lesson: don’t only buy a car due to it’s FC.
olowokandi, yes.. it’s general malaysian thinking. we have to learn to be more open minded like US drivers.
MALAYSIAN CARS HAVE HIGHER INTEREST RATES….
Altezzar you’re wrong about that. CVVT is proven it’s been running in thousands of cars since the previous generation Carens. Supplied by MorseTec, a subsidiary of Borg Warner. Their 2.0, 2.4 litre engine blocks are shared with Chrysler and Mitsubishi (you wouldn’t call Mitsubishi unreliable would you?). Not durable? They should be filling up junkyards, stacking em up high by now then. Unreliable? I don’t see them being towed or breaking down by the roadside. This attitude seems to happen in Malaysia by some bent on spreading malicious rumours to keep resale values of Jap cars high and Korean/Euro cars low. No matter though cos we can get good used Euro/Korean cars at a cheap price. Thanks.
ALPINA BMW,
yes, malaysian cars have higher interest rate, but although jap cars have lower interest rate, the higher instalment actually outweigh savings from lower FC. try calculate yourself.
Hi everybody. The Kia Cerato Forte model will be launched on November 15th 2009. Only 200 CBU units will be available. Pls call me for bookings. While stocks last.
Call Robert: 012-7977178
No SMS pls
Hey Paul,
I think u maybe already overlooked on this new model which already launched yesterday bro!!!!
I saw the car last nite at one of the KIA Dealer in KB but its already closed (10pm).. U must be very excited with the ALZA and left this FORTE review laa.. heheheh.. anyway looking fwd for yr review on tis new model!!
Cheers!!
hi
i have bought a n optima ( kia) in iran and need to receive a cataloge for that.
can you help me please.
thanks