UPDATE: Kia Forte 1.6 Test Drive Review
Naza Kia Sdn. Bhd. has officially launched the Kia Forte for the Malaysian market at the Pavilion KL. As previously mentioned, three models of the Forte are available including the 1.6 EX, the 1.6 SX as well as the range topping 2.0 SX.
There are some updates on some questions that readers have asked in the previous story. Yes, the engine in the 2.0 litre model is the single variable valve timing model. The 1.6 litre engine is able output 126 PS at 6,300rpm and 157Nm of torque at 4,200rpm while the 2.0 litre variant makes 156 PS at 6,200rpm and 194.2Nm of torque at 4,200rpm.
All models are offered with 2 years warranty or 50,000 kilometers, which ever comes first and there is no option for a warranty extension for now.
They plan to sell 6,000 units annually and also revealed that it will introduce more than four new models in various segments next year.
Kia Forte 1.6 EX – RM75,800
Kia Forte 1.6 SX – RM81,800
Kia Forte 2.0 SX – RM93,800
Continue reading to view live images of the launch, or read the related post earlier today to find out the full specifications of the car.
Related Posts:
Kia Forte here in Malaysia: amazing value for money
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The spicy red looks very good indeed!
firsttttttttttttt…………
harga…not bad lah.. :)
I would die die get the cbu one….
its already a common sight in singapore, this car really looks good
Paul, if it is single variable timing, then it is the Theta I and not the Theta II. The only difference between them is the addition of variable timing on the exhaust side.
Naza's literature should be amended to reflect this.
They should put "Kia" badge…More class mah…
thizz would be the hits model for next year…….. believe me guys.
just want to ask, i saw picture above, the steering wheel come with auto cruise button but on specification datasheet they don't mentioned any auto cruise system occupied on 1.6SX or 2.0SX. ANYONE CAN HELP ME TO CLARIFY THS THNGS.
why 2 yrs warranty only?
disappointed…
zzz…in crappy NAZA logo…spoil the whole damn thing…
Some faux aluminium highlights on the dash would do wonders to get rid of the absolutely awful plastic drab monotone scheme they have got going on, the dust on it would also i imagine very noticeable
I just bought a Persona SE. Looking forward to change car already. Maybe in 4-5 years time. Hoping for Ford Fiesta to come here then only decide which one to get. Current car will be passed down to my brother then. ^^
i dunno.somehow it looks boring.
Less than RM 100k for the 2.0 variant. Not bad at all! Will surely give the Civic, Altis and Lancer a run for the money. And with KIA's ever increasing image, I'd say this is the C-segment to go for (if it is a C-segment).
cool car.. the naza logo really look not that bad at all.. lol..
Only 2 years warranty? @.@
This will definitely take the Vios and City share..
I will go for Forte than Vios or City~
SWEET!!!
simple and gorgeous, but sadly its a Kia…
congratulation naza kia!
hope you will improve the quality of your after sales services.
we the consumer wish to have more Quality service centres in our country.
Its behind looks like Hyundai X2.0 while its side view resembles Chevrolet Optra (sedan). But its price is very competitive. Civic 2.0 gives 155hp while Kia Forte nudges ahead by 1 additional hp. Similar tyre sizes for the Civic 2.0. For those who wonder about the handling, to give a fair chance, give it a test drive. Price is well… almost RM40k cheaper than the Civic 2.0. It could be the cheapest 2.0 engine on Malaysian shores now.
the problem is i heard naza service sucks..and resale value is not as good as jap cars but this car is really bang for buck for those features.
LOL the 2 years warranty only further gives the statement that in the long run the car will be hard to maintain…if they wanna break the fears of Malaysians with Korean cars…extend the warranty to 3-5 years to prove that its a reliable car!
Behind looks like Hyundai X2.0 while side view looks like Chevrolet Optra (sedan). Being a 2.0 litre engine its price is very competitive and almost RM40k cheaper than a Civic 2.0. Give it a test drive! Can this be the cheapest 2.0 litre at present, on Malaysian shores?
Saw the car, sat in it,start the engine but could not test drive. The SA said, "abang nak test drive minggu depan kami buat test drive" Pulak. The exterior looks nice, the interior rather cheap. As for the specs on the 1.6SX and 2.0 good. The rear door feels light,too light it feels like you're closing an iswara door or kancil rear door. Like the red one garang.
I think those 2 lady models are gorgeous too…
Hi Paul,
What's your take on the 2.0 engine?
Is it a proven unit?
next week can test drive izzit?…hmm i wonder if there's any Naza dealer around USJ…
why logo at the steering is KIA??
while the exterior logo is NAZA??
No matter how well attractive the car looks like , koreans are still behind the japs in terms of reliability and after sales service. I've own several koreans and continental , to a lot of people with the same experience japs are the most practical car to use .
if its fully imported, why naza badge? pooi*
Not bad at all,& the price also seems to be really reasonable for a CBU car,should be a hot cake in the coming months : )
God Damn Cheap…We got new cars to buy ady..anyway, i like Forte Coupe version more…XD
I see a lot of sour plums here.
The Naza badge is required for certain "tax exemptions" in order for the car to be priced at its low prices even though it is CBU. Surf the net for the insider information on how Naza does its business.
Please tell me, why would an additional 1 year warranty (to match the current 3-year warranty of most other cars) mean that the car is more reliable?
Rear doors that close like a Protons? Tsk tsk tsk. All Hyundai-Kia vehicles of late have doors that close with a solid thunk. If you want to post something to turn people away from the car, post something that cannot be easily verified.
Can we have more constructive criticism please? By all means, go on and drive your lovely cars. You just won't know what you are missing out.
sure will be hit like spectra…it worth for ur money lol
not bad..but still out of design.. blend looking like saab+lancer+civic
better take jap bagde
does it look like new honda city??
Hi Paul & Everyone,
Any idea how is the 2.0 engine?
Is it a proven unit & new model?
ok, here is the deal:-
– affortable when u buy compare with it class;
– buy fully imported KIA from Korea, dont buy NAZA;
– no 3rd party manufacturer parts from Taiwan, hard to get second hand parts, all genuine parts from Korea (cost u a fortune);
– lower resell value compare to japanese car;( of course, u buy cheap, resell second hand also cheap understand?)
– YES, KIA service centre sucks. 2 years warantee is more than enough. Get service at others workshop, cheaper, better inspection workmanship.
– Fully imported model as good as japanese car unless NAZA local assemble that is the reason why get some many problem to fix & made bad reputation for KIA vehicles.
– as long as u maintain, u dont crush, u will not change major parts within 5 years.
– less after market goodies (hopefully get started with Forte)
– pretty high fuel consumption compare to Civic / Lancer
im having my KIA RIO fully imported for more than 5 years (2004 model) still running gd. im glad i din get Gen 2 which was just launched & have to wait for 6 months to deliver. with this kind of price tag, japanese / korean style comfort seriosuly nothing u should complain. recommend to those who will drive for at least 5 years not for short sell user. Keep it will run u a gd journey back home. Engine should be improved in power & fuel consumption after years of R&D. yeah, 1.6 is the standard / minimum, 2.0 is fun to drive !~ cheers.
understood..but resale value is worse than proton ..ahakss
forgot to mention, that 2 years warrantee is only "free 100 points inspection & labour charge lah.." so forget it lah…since the service centre sucks…how many Honda / Toyota user always go service in every 5K KM at own service centre…can u tahan or not…sikit sikit over 1K…hahaha. do it at other workshop lah, use genuine parts but not "genuine korean technician" lah…technician who work in KIA service centre r "malaysian" lah…same as u service at other rakyat workshop who r Malaysian too..save the bloody ringgit.
can request SA to chg the badge back to kia
forgot to mention, that 2 years warrantee is only "free 100 points inspection & labour charge" lah….since the KIA service centre sucks, just service at other common workshop will do. after all, how many honda toyota user will go service at their respective service centre…sikit sikit over 1K…boleh tahan or not..use genuine parts, get service at rakyat workshop. is not worth to spend more than double of the price when they r not Korean technician, they r malaysian same as other workshop.
and its sad naza only bringing in 500 cbu models
A naza KIA pr staff just insisted to me over the phone about how the fact that the first 500 units are cbu is not true. So I have to remove that, he seemed very annoyed
check the picture kia-forte-launch-18, you can see the seats actually is leather seats, so i believe the 2.0 is real and it do came with the cruise control…
It looks well sorted. The fascia is nice too, unless you want to slot in an aftermarket Pioneer Head unit. So the sound system has got to perform. This goes for any other car too, If you don't let us upgrade the sound, you'd better make it good. Coz we're stuck with it.
What's this then; Telescopic Steering Column? Whoa. Good to have.
How about a 2.0 manual? Yeah the one they want to sell the UK market. If the 1.6 goes 12s to 100km/h, that's (on paper) 0.5s faster than a Waja CPS, – assuming its a straight line and the Forte doesn't have to depend too much on the Mondo coils.
That's ok, unless its up against the manual version. Good for commuters then. Good job Schreyer. Good luck Naza.
What ?? 2 years warranty or 50k miles , Proton ( problem car ) also give 5 years 300k miles.
so no cbu unit….ermm
to buy or not to buy?
how much is the total tax impose on this car? juz say, without those crappy AP's and taxes, how much will the car actually cost? bcoz it looks too plasticky to me
it might be still CBU for the first few hundreds unit, but they do not want the public to have the perception of it.
looks very nice, good quality, hope naza improve same as their principle partner.
hey paul, how come the car inside the pictures has auto cruise button on the steering wheel? is it meant for 2.0?
Pual, 500unit of cbu is not true, is that mean it a ckd? kinda mess.
frankly, this car definitely value for money just cross naza-kia website they make this car undefinable safe and secure among all segment. Yet,offer equipment also fascinate. Nevertheless they replace naza badge into it(2 bad).
the center panel of the dashboard is full of identical buttons…. not nice… looks sophisticated n not organised….. yet, exterior-wise it looks nice n priced reasonably!!!!! :-)
the car is really bloody cheap.
the 1.6sx version comes with push button start and smart entry. 81k only. bloody hell!
vios, city and latio can pretty much kiss their asses goodbye.
thought the ckd from the gurun plant may not be as good as the other 3.
just test drove the car just now… 1.6 sx… simply awesome..
YE KE ZAFRAN????
OVERALL CAR : OK
DESINGED LUAR – SANGAT OK
DLM => SEAT – OUT
STEERING – OKLA (AUTO CRUISE X TAU ADA KA XDA – MAYBE MYSTERY, TANYA ADA…X TANYA NASIBLER)
GAMBAR ADA.. DLM KRETA TGOK XDA
AUDIO – GOOD
AIRCOND – GOOD
SPEAKER – GOOD
LOGO NAZA – MEANS BAD SERVICE AND BAD TECHNICIAN
(ENG: MALAS/ JAWA: NOT COMMITED AT ALL)
DOOR GLASS WINDOWS – GOOD (HAS UV CUT)
WHEEL/TYRES – GOOD
SUNROOF – X TAULA (GAMBAR ADA.. C THE CAR… XDA PULAK)
HEADLAMP – DAH OK DAH
REAR LAMP – CUN GAK
EXOS FINISH – YG PAALING OK
GRILL – OK N SIMPLE
HARGA – SANGAT OK
MORAL OF THE STORY: KERETA BOLE SANGAT DGN HARGANYA. TTAPI BILA NAZA YG AMBIL ALIH. SEMUA JADI TERUK. DR SA SAMPAI KAT DLM PUSAT SERVICE MCM HAPRAK BUAT KERJA. INNNNILAH YANG PALING DITAKUTI OLEH RAKYAT JELATA DI MSIA NAK BELI. MEREKA APA KISAH…. BUKAN KETA DIORG. COME ON NAZA GUYS…WAKE UP. KORANGNI MCM BUDAK REMAJA MENTAH. MINDA ORG KG DAN ORG ASLI LG BAGUS. AKU CAKAP NI BUKAN KOSONG. SEMUA BERDASARKAN PENGALAMAN BERURUSAN DGN NAZA (A TO Z) SBB TERJEBAK PAKAI KORANG PUNYA BRG. TO NAZA CEO, PLEASE TAKE NOTE! ASYIK LAUNCHING ITU LAUNCHING INI. BRG BAGUS. ORG BAWAH BUAT KERJA HANCUR. TQ N BYE2
Love it already , good price for 2.0, just for the Koup , it will be the leader of the pack if under rm100k.
i have test drive the car today and i m impressed how kiA has really changed. its a really nice car and i fell in love with it. the and surprisingly, i booked the car. i dont care about the resale value as long as im satisfy with its performance.
i think the cbu story is true coz the car i test drove just now come with umho tyres…. tyre baik tu,,
as for the kia badge on the stering is due to the airbag design… cannot kacau
i wonder how this car performance in the handling and engine dept..
really makes the mazda3, civic and lancer looks freakin ex haha
2.0sx safety features…..haaah….attractive…..buy for safety, buy for quality, buy for price……hmmm good for customer…..just 2 things ????…..after sales and second value…..any info???
petang tadi dah test drive unit 1.6sx full spec…memang smooth engine..stable…but suspension kinda stiff skit tapi still ok b'coz that car consider as sporty so need to have stiff suspension…so many gadget lah..good value for money..that salesman oso said that hot color is white n spicy red…got tested the titanium silver color only..cornering quite good!…pickup also good…got up down gear..no need key to start engine..just push da button..same like jet..ehhehe..overall nice car n good value for your money!
I heard the cheif designer from VW……..no wonder laa the car so nice.
How's the 2.0L GEMA engine compared to the one in 2.0L mazda3 ?
It's ridiculous there's no Stability Control in 130K+ mazda3 and this Forte can offer VSC @ RM93K+ lol…
Any news when is your testdrive Paul?
Autoworld already has both 1.6l units test driven. Only 2.0 left. Maybe you should arrange for the 2.0 version then. Or better yet, all three.
oh well…we will just rebadge the badge into KIA
bobdbilder said,
If the 1.6 goes 12s to 100km/h, that’s (on paper) 0.5s faster than a Waja CPS
___________________________________________________________________________
True if it was Waja CPS A/T.. but..
if it was Manual Waja, this Forte 1.6 will makan asap.. as CPS M/T took only 10.5sec to reach 100km/h..
Anyway.. i think Forte is OK..
much2 better than ALZA wagon (5seats + big boot + tin milo body)
Paul said,
A naza KIA pr staff just insisted to me over the phone about how the fact that the first 500 units are cbu is not true. So I have to remove that, he seemed very annoyed.
___________________________________________________________________________
I believe it is true. But not 500 units as you claimed. The salesperson I asked said only about 200 units are CBU units. I went to a showroom earlier and saw the Forte model on display with a bar-code sticker on the rear passenger door mirror saying ' Made in Korea'. The pictures that I saw on the net of a batch of Forte being unshipped at Port Klang further support the fact that there are indeed some CBU Forte.
mystvearn: Naza Kia did not invite me for that test drive event so it will probably be quite some time before I can get any cars for review.
xenogearz: The Naza Kia guy said ALL are CKD. Anyway I am just a messenger. Even the earlier 500 units figure were given by two separate Naza staff at the launch. But it seems that they were wrong, according to their PR department.
Jack Hammer,
Not to forget, this is SO MUCH BETTER than all models by P1+P2 combined.
P.S A 5yrs old Waja door closed with WORST sound than a 10yrs old Iswara….Is that what u get after almost a quarter of century in business!
any news are they going to launch the Koupe anytime soon?
Hopefully the Forte goes down the well-established Korean cars' route of losing much of its resale value within few years.
Then, in 2 years, maybe I can get one with under 50k km on the odometer for RM40k.
One can dream…
For those who plan to get Vios or City.. pls pull your hand-brake..
now with that same amount of money , you can get a car up one Segment!!
Good job NAZA!! (ofcos still the worst in service!)
But wat to do? The extra amount that you pay if to get for Altis or Civic does not equal the cos of financial efficiency tough!!
THOSE who get the higest spec of City or Vios, look!! can u compete with its
Forte 2.0 156 PS at 6,200rpm and 194.2Nm of torque
with the same price???
hahahahaha
sell sell sell
no more City…
no more vios..
no more civic
no more Altis…
Boring..
All u need now is a testdrive and check d quality of cabin's plastic…
Honda City i feel is more elegant, and the higher spec got better rims , 40:60 split reclinable bench with nifty compartments..
But I think this car will sell like hotcakes cuz it has more up-to-date technology inside and stuff, black cabin is nice…
will the 2.0 be very thirsty? but all 3 variants is value for money, next year's waja can't compete with this
Yaaa… i went to their website…. the car looks better there..!
and cruise control on the steering wheel
yeaa…i saw the picture…
cruise control shuubbbeee on 2.0 model! but i feel the 2.0 model's interior shud look a bit more special… with aluminium(fake) inserts
wow, a nice car indeed. very tempted, i hope p1 will workhard for their new waja n perdana nexr year, please suprise us with ur capabilities. dont belittle our own product, oh our own countrymen.
if i not mistaken, kia forte use the same platform as hyundai avante a.k.a elantra X20 in malaysia. No wonder the price is very tempted becoz of sharing platform, not to mention sharing drive terreain with their partner(hyundai). i think p1 n p2 shud follow suit if thay want to become bigger. tq naza for bring us some nice vehicles with affordable price
as we know, above shown picture including official website is a CBU unit…… my concern is, would CKD unit comes with all the CBU spec? coz on specification details posted above no auto cruise system stated.
the question is, would 2.0SX CKD model comes with auto cruise & are they using the same multifunction steering as a CBU unit ? (hopefully they would remains the same spec).
Don't want to be cheated by the CKD unit (normally CKD unit have lower spec)
ANYONE CAN HELP FOR THIS ISSUE, especially KIA M'SIA representative.
Trust ME~
All are CBU~
just the paper work they can twist it~
Like the 308~
City & Vios CBU or CKD not really much ppl care huh???
shawal said,
November 26, 2009 @ 1:25 am
All u need now is a testdrive and check d quality of cabin’s plastic…
Honda City i feel is more elegant, and the higher spec got better rims , 40:60 split reclinable bench with nifty compartments..
But I think this car will sell like hotcakes cuz it has more up-to-date technology inside and stuff, black cabin is nice…
will the 2.0 be very thirsty? but all 3 variants is value for money, next year’s waja can’t compete with this~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Fren, City is one class lower than this baby~
u should comparing Forte with Civic~
and WTF with the Waja? under govt protection, Waja stil way cheaper that Forte~ ofcos the physical build waja cannot compare with Forte~
the market with Waja & Forte still different.. bcos in malaysia~ we buy car segmented according to the PRICE not the car Segment~
An Euro's C segment car like PUG308 somehow let ppl comparing with City or Vios too~~ sigh~~ …
Really value for money car!! Any news on interest rate?
Go Forte!!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Thumbs Up!!!
Wat a nice looking car packed with features!!! way a lot more than Civic or Altis~~
really like to see this kind of passionate car with the good price tag coming in!!
The first one is PUG308 and this Forte is another ~
Toyota & Honda can't hold the privileged long time here in malaysia~ It's getting hot & hotter here the car market~ good scene!!
oh Man~~ look at our P1~ can't u just do a car with passion like KIA??
Well, I am an Alfa Romeo fan and I have a 156 religiously-maintained at exorbitant prices as parts are expensive but scarce, resale value is shite, reliability is best not spoken of, Selespeed leaves a lot to be desired… but I still prefer the 156 over other newer cars as it has the emotional appeal and design that moves petrol heads.
Well, I think that petrol heads would be happy with this Kia Forte offering in the local market now. Very competitive price for a 2.0, packed with features and the design looks sporty yet elegant. The interior could be improved with carbon fiber sticker inserts at Brothers. I think I shall be heading to the showroom soon.
I wonder if they'd take the 156 for trade-in..?
Thumbs Up!!!
A sincere offer from KIA & NAZA..
packed with features, (which u found it missing on Civic or Altis) from in and out~ ~ Salute!!~~
Good car with Good price tag!
International Review :
Like the Soul, the Kia Forte was designed in California, but unlike the Soul, the Forte was geared to appeal to a very broad swath of Americans; hence the Civic-DNA stealing. At least it is a high quality copy. The Forte has a high rear deck and subtly creased and raised fenders meant to convey a sense that the car is in motion even when standing still. That description may be a stretch, but it is cleanly styled nonetheless. The Forte features a version of Kia’s new look front fascia with swept-back headlights. Its creased hood flows nicely into the A-pillar and there’s a subtle beltline that runs from the headlights to the attractive trapezoidal taillamps.
If you expect the Forte to be a big let down once you slide into the seats, you will be disappointed…happily so. Fit and finish is leaps and bounds better than the dark days of Korean automaking a decade ago. Interior ergonomics, where Honda and Toyota previously ruled, are at least as good in the Forte if not better.
The best news is the price. The Forte LX starts at $13,695, pushes up to just under $16,000 for the EX, and starts at $17,195 for our preferred SX model. With the leather package and sunroof added, the SX is in the $20,000 range, making the Forte an excellent value.
If you can get over your preconceived notions of Kia and could care less about driving a Honda, the Forte is probably as much Civic as you need.
International Review for Forte :
Like the Soul, the Kia Forte was designed in California, but unlike the Soul, the Forte was geared to appeal to a very broad swath of Americans; hence the Civic-DNA stealing. At least it is a high quality copy. The Forte has a high rear deck and subtly creased and raised fenders meant to convey a sense that the car is in motion even when standing still. That description may be a stretch, but it is cleanly styled nonetheless. The Forte features a version of Kia’s new look front fascia with swept-back headlights. Its creased hood flows nicely into the A-pillar and there’s a subtle beltline that runs from the headlights to the attractive trapezoidal taillamps.
If you expect the Forte to be a big let down once you slide into the seats, you will be disappointed…happily so. Fit and finish is leaps and bounds better than the dark days of Korean automaking a decade ago. Interior ergonomics, where Honda and Toyota previously ruled, are at least as good in the Forte if not better.
The best news is the price. The Forte LX starts at $13,695, pushes up to just under $16,000 for the EX, and starts at $17,195 for our preferred SX model. With the leather package and sunroof added, the SX is in the $20,000 range, making the Forte an excellent value.
If you can get over your preconceived notions of Kia and could care less about driving a Honda, the Forte is probably as much Civic as you need.
How's the petrol consumption and maintenance cost for this car?
I nearly booked this car a day before it launch until I get the information of 5 years warranty from the SA but ends up hearing confirmation of 2 years warranty here. Personally I like the exterior of this car. The front part is a bit dull but ok. As for interior wise, quality is good but the way of its design hmmm…very subjective. The steering is not my taste. Besides that it got packs of features and goodies (Thumbs up) and very well price too. Good luck for those had booked this car and happy motoring =)
Btw Paul,
Can you confirm with us that the driver power window do not have the auto down or up functions? One of the SA told me that.
Thanks.
From my observation :
1) Design looks good
2) Value for money
3) Trasmission sucks big time…!!!! 4 speed auto only kaa…? even my 3 year old car is a 5 speeder. Even the Honda City is a 5 speeder. IF you have driven a car with a 5 ratios, u will not want to go back to 4..!! trust me..!
Contact the PR guy, ur invite for sure is there sumwhere ,
This car is very important for the malaysian market
Paul, it'll be awesome if you could get full list of engine & electrical components ,suppliers , their prices
and assess which of which very likely to breakdown first…
CKD …. 2 years/50k KM , …very suspicious…..
I think the notion of Malaysian motoring industry is that, we pay low insurance compare to europe, but instead the comes with a very high price tag… , real benefits only comes along once you've finished ur payments , and proton cars has low residual values and only lasts its loan duration ( It knows regardless whether its 5…7…or even 9 years…)
I kinda feel bad for malaysians who are forced to buy p1 , p2 , …scaled/toned down CKD cars , we are lagging behind in technology, especially in safety… , you can say what you want even if your the most cautious driver, no one can predicts the future…somehow…accidents happens…
When the exterior design and PRICING is so coo, l rather hate the steering wheel design. I guess, until we got better tranny and turbodiesel powerplant this Forte still a less favorable choice to more established
Japanese duo: City and Vios.
Korean must shows they're matured now . Naza really need PR exercise to shape up positive perceptio.n
Forte looks really good as I have been following this car from all its adverts in NST's CBT. Now just wait for the real review.
Actually i believe the first batch is CBU. But of course they cannot declare it in public because they are paying CKD tax. That's why they can sell it at very low price. Same what happened with the 308.
Why the external badges are Naza while the steering wheel bear the Kia's? This is CBU unit actually right? I heard it is already at the Prot Klang for a while. This is truly value for money and head to head competitor with Vios, City, Civic, Altis, and Lancer.
Hi all KIA/NAZA owners. Please help me here. How's NAZA Penang service center's service? :) This car has so many features, sleek design and reasonable pricing. However I'm not confident about the service center. Pls share your experience, positive or negative..
not bad….. but i just bought my fd month ago.. lolzz
first of all we must thank NAZA for being able to allow us Malaysians to buy a Car with its price point. Thanks NAZA, hope you will do better
Secondly, We must also say KIA did a great job in introducing the correct car into the market, Thank you KIA
Thirdly, We must all choose what is worth money and value for ourselves rather than what people say is good, take a test drive and tell yourself, do you like the car, who cares if your neighbour say hey why you buy KIA, all you know he is missing everything out buying a CIVIC 2.0L
Still also depends on human argument, some ppl hate KIA because they think honda and toyota is better, true, but they pay 130K and you pay 93k and financially you have a 37k head start, even if the car breaks down, you still have 37K in the pocket to do repairs, and the civic 2.0 has no extra 37k if his car breaks down, thats the difference, break down, reliability depends on how you take good care of your car, some ppl who drives merc, breaksdown at the side of the road, he paid 400k for the car and never takes care, so take good care of your car and love it and it will love you back by surviving long enough to impress you,
trust me, i love my car, i change anything that is a bout to break down ASAP, and it drives perfectly, and it is a P1,
1st 500 unit r CBU
it is NAZA forte not kia forte hence the front n rear logo with NAZA
Stupid Brochure = why add driver weight 75? The definition of kerb weight is follows:-
Curb weight (US) or Kerb weight (UK) is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (e.g. motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.[1][2]
Stupid brochure designer….
why put the Naza logo? spoil the image and de-grade the car overall lol…
exterior = 2 thumbs up!
interior = 2 thumbs down…
On paper good lah… just like any other 'new' car….. it's called HYPE.
Campro = hype kosong
CPS = deluded hype
vvti = old hype
ivtec = confusing hype
value-for-money-car = el-cheapo hype
this forte is in the category of city/vios or civic/altis/lancer?
to those nippon car fanz,nippon cars used to be a not so gud brand during 70's…m'sian despise nippon cars,they rather be with a conti than a nippon..juz like korean cars rite now…but in the 80's & 90's the nippon improve by leap & bounds..so im sure the korean will take the same path..spectra is bad,but this forte is good!!
Get that Naza logo away…
impressive improvement by Kia…not Naza. sorry to Naza…u just bring a good brand down..
visit kia showroom yesterday…after that visit perodua to see alza…suddenly u'll notice a big gap of quality & equipment between these 2 cars..to those who plan to book forte,i suggest u visit a perodua showroom after that..u'll be happy with ur choice..wakakakaka
nyawere said,
November 26, 2009 @ 6:38 am
From my observation :
1) Design looks good
2) Value for money
3) Trasmission sucks big time…!!!! 4 speed auto only kaa…? even my 3 year old car is a 5 speeder. Even the Honda City is a 5 speeder. IF you have driven a car with a 5 ratios, u will not want to go back to 4..!! trust me..!
————————————————————-
i dont get it with all the fuss bout 5 speed gearbox…FC is more important and i bet city owner is not that happy with their car FC rite now..its worse than a vios 4 speed gearbox!
Cantikkkkkk, puas hati, bergaya, serba serbi ok, harga ok….Gua ingat mahu beli satu. Tapi spoil ada logo NAZA di depan…aparaaa….kasi buanglah….gua fobia dengan logo NAZA…
luar cantik….dlm OUTTTTTTTTTT…
simply impressive……the level of equipment they'r willing to offer for the price
the koreans used to be lights years..away..but now they are just steps behind the japs……
hopefully more malaysians open up their hearts to this brand……this will force the japs come up with better offer here……..pronto
I can tell you all Naza cars are CBU from Korea..Maybe only tires, rims, leather seats are fitted locally. If you can look at the back of Naza logo, its made in Korea!!! Fact that this car can sell so cheap here is because of national car privilege enjoyed by Naza!
wat is the forte weight?
this forum full of fussy malaysian..go buy a merc la…
Logo naza komplen…go change it la…
2 yr warranty….other manufacturers offer 5 years ah??
what can i say…typical Malaysian….honda…toyota is god….others are just crap…
in the spec sheet combined fuel consumption is 7l/100km for both 1.6 and 2.0 litre model? doesnt make sense
THe red is nice, especially on the exterior, but interior =.=
PUGfans said,
November 26, 2009 @ 3:08 am
Trust ME~
All are CBU~
just the paper work they can twist it~
Like the 308~
City & Vios CBU or CKD not really much ppl care huh???
—————————
308 is CBU?
Boink said,
November 26, 2009 @ 9:21 am
exterior = 2 thumbs up!
interior = 2 thumbs down…
______________________________________________________________________________
Agree with you Boink.
I went to Naza World PJ yesterday………on the outside it is interesting enough but when sitting on the inside……..quite a let down. Leave a "plasticky" impression like the Saga……..
BTW Forte is well priced with the gadgets offered compared with other make from the same segment.
wow i think it is cool
believe what wallstreet is true … its like rondo :D
Paul,
How the NCAP? Got 4 star?
Paul,
How the NCAP? Got 4 star?
The exterior is well-design, the interior is very subjective.
Overall the improvement from KIA is very good. The Brand still make a huge impact when buying a car, especially Malaysian, only knee on T and H.
Personally, I think the 1.6SX is a good bargain. Looking the specs and the accessories offered. No way u can get those at this price on both T n H.
I impress on the 81k tag with some great specs..
Auto climax air-cond.
17" big wheel.
ABS with ESC and Traction Control.
Disc brake for all wheels..
Still no Champagne Gold?
Karl said,
November 26, 2009 @ 7:13 am
When the exterior design and PRICING is so coo, l rather hate the steering wheel design. I guess, until we got better tranny and turbodiesel powerplant this Forte still a less favorable choice to more established
Japanese duo: City and Vios.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brother, FORTE is actually C segment car same with Civic, Altis… Not City Vios~ again..we compare the car with price range here~ If so, should u bring in the 96k 308Vti in the category too?
imo, 200 units of cbu is for all dealers to display and test drive only. Buyers for sure got ckd one.
Red and white color attraction bcoz of coming festive season (cny). Smart promo!!!!
Mazda 3 MPS said,
November 26, 2009 @ 10:30 am
PUGfans said,
November 26, 2009 @ 3:08 am
Trust ME~
All are CBU~
just the paper work they can twist it~
Like the 308~
City & Vios CBU or CKD not really much ppl care huh???
—————————
308 is CBU?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like bro WallStreet said, NAZA's car are CKD in paper, CBU in actual~
You can go check it out urself, as I'm driving one 308 now~
redwings said,
November 26, 2009 @ 11:26 am
Paul,
How the NCAP? Got 4 star?
—————————————————-
redwings, NCAP is the authority for cars sold in Europe. Since Forte is not sold in Europe, there is no NCAP rating for Forte. However, Forte is sold in Australia and North America. In Australia, Forte earned an overall 4star ("average" of all tests) rating from ANCAP, the only downside is that the frontal crash results shows possible severe injury to legs. ANCAP crash method is quite similar to NCAP, only thing head on speed slightly less than NCAP's. In the US, Forte was crash tested under NHTSA. The NHTSA results:
Frontal Driver Rating: 5 stars
Frontal Passenger Rating: 5 stars
Side Driver Rating: 5 stars
Side Rear Passenger Rating: 3 stars
Rollover 2 Wheel Drive Rating: 4 stars
Frontal NHTSA crash test is a bit different from NCAP's, where NHTSA's is full frontal (as apposed to offset). Some argue that this method of crashing makes it easy for carmakers to obtained 5stars, as suggested by the relatively large number of cars obtaining 5stars from NHTSA (including many old outdated models). IIHS is an organization that is considered more stringent cause they use the offset method, and as far as I know, they have not tested the Forte yet.
Also, note that the cars tested (ANCAP and NHTSA) are with 6 airbags.
More Malaysians should be concerned about car safety. Glad that you are one of them. :)
Naza cars CKD on paper, CBU actual? That's a new one to me. Somebody care to enlighten me?
Yes! The ugly Vios finally DIE! Now is the time for Forte
this car is not as plastic as anita sarawak's face or vios….
test drive the car first..you will fall in love with the features and how smooth it is in comparison with vios and city..
zafran said,
November 25, 2009 @ 11:25 pm
i think the cbu story is true coz the car i test drove just now come with umho tyres…. tyre baik tu,,
—————————————————————-
Do you mean KUMHO tyres?
i had a bad experience with kumho tyres…
hate it… the tyre is hard, make much noise..
MBX Boy said,
November 26, 2009 @ 12:30 pm
redwings said,
November 26, 2009 @ 11:26 am
Paul,
How the NCAP? Got 4 star?
—————————————————-
redwings, NCAP is the authority for cars sold in Europe. Since Forte is not sold in Europe, there is no NCAP rating for Forte. However, Forte is sold in Australia and North America. In Australia, Forte earned an overall 4star (”average” of all tests) rating from ANCAP, the only downside is that the frontal crash results shows possible severe injury to legs. ANCAP crash method is quite similar to NCAP, only thing head on speed slightly less than NCAP’s. In the US, Forte was crash tested under NHTSA. The NHTSA results:
Frontal Driver Rating: 5 stars
Frontal Passenger Rating: 5 stars
Side Driver Rating: 5 stars
Side Rear Passenger Rating: 3 stars
Rollover 2 Wheel Drive Rating: 4 stars
Frontal NHTSA crash test is a bit different from NCAP’s, where NHTSA’s is full frontal (as apposed to offset). Some argue that this method of crashing makes it easy for carmakers to obtained 5stars, as suggested by the relatively large number of cars obtaining 5stars from NHTSA (including many old outdated models). IIHS is an organization that is considered more stringent cause they use the offset method, and as far as I know, they have not tested the Forte yet.
Also, note that the cars tested (ANCAP and NHTSA) are with 6 airbags.
More Malaysians should be concerned about car safety. Glad that you are one of them.
————————————————————–
MBX Boy,
Yeah..Safety always come first. I was really worried why G never impose must safety features on P1 and P2.. ABS and airbags are must things…and crash test info..
Those ppl driving with ABS will know how good it is..
I actually driving with 8airbags n ABS, and always insist car with ABS and airbags..
We only got 1 life.. G should start thinking to subsidy these safety features to P1 and P2… just my 2 cents….
With open market, wonder how low this Kia Forte price gonna be.
Kia Forte – Another reason why Proton should close down.
75k for 1.6EX mod , no bad , affortable !!
Insiders said, Forte will be offered at the current prices for a limited time only. Is it true? Goes up or down? Or just a marketing strategy?
The forte looks really atractive and it is generously spec.
Regarding the comparison of crash test method between US and Europe, another factor that affects the result is the left hand drive and right hand drive issue. You see, in some cases there was intrusion into the cabin due to the location of the engine or gearbox pushing against the steering column. The problem normally exist only in LHD but not in RHD and vice-versa.
this car will whack UMW and HONDA out of shape.
it has more features than ANY car within the next 30 thousand dollars. it has the looks. it has a very good engine. in the US, Kia gives 10 years warranty (here they give 2) i suspect they dont want to overkill the market.
the 2.0 engine is very very reliable.
tell me one new car that has this specs at this price.
none.
ppl should really boycott the japanese makes as they are overly price in malaysia.
the 2.0 has got an acceleration of 9.8s (real world, i tested it in the US.)
i would definitely sell my vios and city without a heart beat. just let me come home first. (=
the only thing i hate about this car is the naza logo !! since it's considered as a non-national car which means higher interest rates or more expensive than proton, i would prefer the KIA logo !!
When to the Naza Kia Showroom in PJ yesterday around 7pm, there we about to close and the salesman was about to head off to Pavilion as that’s where the official launch was for the Naza Forte …. They had several units but all with the 1.6 specs and also manage to test drive within the Naza Center as the Federal Highway was full jam up last night.
First impressions, beautifully design and solid build quality, test drove the 1.6SX which was the full specs going for RM81, 800. Side mirrors does not close automatically, tyre’s where 17 inch Hankook and even the spare tyre was included with the original rim of the car. Boot size is really good. Again Overall outlook of the car is fantastic and the door sounds when closing feels solid and proper.
Got into the car, there is a slot to plug in the keyless device and Start/Stop Engine button was lit up. Stepping on the brek pedal is the only way to start the car before pressing the button and engine start was very smooth, meter mood lighting came on, overall very nice in look of the dashboard with all the button features including aircond /climate control.
Steering wheel was wrapped in leather, good solid grip. LCD info on the Dash had numerous Trip information which can be selected. Very silent from inside, turn on the aircond engage into drive, smooth gear engagement and drove off, very good pick up, engine is very responsive and very smooth gear change. Manage to take it up to 60km before slamming on the brakes.
Turning radius of the car is also excellent, beat my Gen 2 anytime. But of course my Gen 2 is a manual and the pickup and power delivered was still much better than the Naza Forte but I had to remind myself this was an Auto 1.6 with 4 gear ratio. Overall the responsiveness is very much like Toyota Vios which is really good for an auto car. Switch the Gear to semi-auto mode and had a go with it, respond time while pushing up the gears was good but when dropping down gears there is a lag time, I guess it’s the engine management system which prevents the gear from dropping too fast at high speed.
Interior had a good sense of feel making the interior a well balance trim for the price you’re paying. The steering wheel had Kia symbol, asked the sales guy why that was, he mention all the major parts are assemble in Korea and the remaining pieces are fixed over here locally and that’s why we have the Naza logo outside and behind the car.
Again overall I’m comparing the Naza Forte with my Gen 2 1.6 Highline which pretty much has most of the similar safety features such as 2 air bags, ABS but the overall outlook of the car exterior and interior and looking at the price of the car was absolutely fantastic. Was browsing the following website below
http://www.ceratoforte.sg/expose-your-forte-koup-…
Which is the Forte Club in Singapore, just look at the body kit added to the car, it looks awesome. The back of the car once fitted with the body kit reminds me of the new Audi A4.
Downside would probably be the 2 year limited warranty on the car which I ask why is there no extended warranty period offered as I know Kia parts are very expensive then again similar to proton genuine parts which cost an arm and leg to buy. Would have preferred at least 3 years warranty with an option to purchase an extended warranty.
Another downside was the interest rate the sales guy mention was 3.2% but he mention if I’m taking 5 years and below for my loan, might be able to get it at 3% but that would be the lowest. My Gen 2 .1.6 highline was one of the lowest interest rate which was 2.33% that I’m paying which was 4 years ago.
However I’m seriously considering selling of my Gen2 1.6 Highline and upgrading to the Naza Forte 1.6 SX. The salesman told me If I book now, will get my car in 2 months time, but the year manufactured will be 2009 but registration will be 2010.
Would prefer to wait till next year to get a 2010 manufactured Naza Forte rather than booking it now but again with all the hype and responds waiting period might shoot up to 6 to 10 months similar like what happen when Mitsubishi Lancer GT wehn it was launched at over shores.
I would suggest whoever is considering getting the Naza Forte to test drive the car as that’s the best way to determine if it’s really a good buy. Proton is really going to lose out a lot and those booking the new vios and city will now be considering the Naza Forte based solely on the price figures as in terms of build quality and material the Korean car is as good as the Toyota’s and Honda’s in it’s class but lesser dollar figure and more savings for anybody who buys them.
I was waiting for new Mazda2 coming aboard next year march…and now I can seriously consider FORTE..forget abt T n H, just too common and overpriced with lousy specs..(Sorry T n H fans)
wow…another good product from Korean…but wait first don't buy yet.
wait for new waja replacement early next year (mac@april)
waja replacement: prc 70k++, engine 1.8 (gema), design based on mitsu fortis. test drive both then make your own desicion.
Personally i think Avante @ Elantra @ X20 is better..
Hyundai thru HSDM give a better aftersales service.
Some more Sime Darby is give the whole distributorship now, should be able to capitalize on that
wait for waja? my god.. proton cars are the worst cars on the planet. over-priced in every department and not reliable.
the only thing good about waja is the handling, the engine is abysmal.
wajafan:"waja replacement: prc 70k++, engine 1.8 (gema), design based on mitsu fortis. test drive both then make your own desicion."
Yeah rite how about 20-years (repeat: 20-years) warranty free service labour parts. Power window, door handle lifetime warranty OK?
That should help your decision better.
Again, 20-years warranty.
No, not 20-years warranty. PROTON BETTER GIVE LIFETIME WARRANTY LAH!
MUCH BETTER FOR PROTON TO GIVE LIFETIME WARRANTY!
Ok lah the best decision for Proton is to give Lifetime Warranty!
Went to see the SX car twice, yesterday and today.
I don't agree with negative comments on the interior. On pictures, they don't do justice. I found the interior fittings to be excellent. Everything is tight and when you press against them, they don't squeek. Didn't find any gaps or misalignments. The plastics and fabrics are softer and more conti than civic and altis. Seats are very comfortable.. the height can be lowered significantly which i like plus the telescopic steering helps with driving positions. Cubies are quite plentiful, especially the below the center console. Nice to have 2 cup holders near to the handbrake. The steering is definitely not very stylish but it's unique in a way, and the size is right for me.
I suggest to actually go see the car for yourself and not judging by photos.
Lifetime warranty is usually lifetime of the product, and not your lifetime. So if they sell waja another 3 years and give lifetime warranty, its just for another 3 years. IF you give 20 year warranty, you get bored. Like wearing the same shirt 20 years. Thats how bored you will get.
Also, Proton cannot match the list of goodies as standard. Not sure if it can match at all now, since NAZA is the loophole for cheap Korean cars.
Omg, just tested the SX version, i heart Forte!!!! back seat's kinda crammed tho, but so is Vios'!
for those doubters and sceptics, pls don't talk without trying. test drive it first, then you can talk.
We need bigger BIG BLACK LOOPHOLE for cheaper car price!! More lubang pls!!!
erm.. not sure who said that naza hav no confidence in their product by only giving 2 yr / 50k KM warranty..
but cant u be abit positive and seeing it this way.. where naza have absolute confidence in the CBU quality.. in which they only provide a warranty of 2 yrs / 50k KM.. which ever comes 1st..
jz me 2 "sen"s… hehe..
if i hav the cash.. i think i whud trade in me sephia and gv this a try.. hehe.. not sure if i missed the any post bout Koup.. but will Koup be coming to MY??
but i'm more into hot hatches though.. hehe..
Still prefer the forte Koupe. But Naza really dissapointed me. Currently owning the latest Kia Optima and it was way under my expectation. Fuel consumption, build quality, power and etc are just too not to be welcomed. Just a advice to Naza, try build cars with standard regardless of the price you are going to sell. Cause people are seeking classes and standards on each car.
nyawere said,
November 26, 2009 @ 6:38 am
From my observation :
1) Design looks good
2) Value for money
3) Trasmission sucks big time…!!!! 4 speed auto only kaa…? even my 3 year old car is a 5 speeder. Even the Honda City is a 5 speeder. IF you have driven a car with a 5 ratios, u will not want to go back to 4..!! trust me..!
————————————————————-
i dont get it with all the fuss bout 5 speed gearbox…FC is more important and i bet city owner is not that happy with their car FC rite now..its worse than a vios 4 speed gearbox!
———————————–
With a 5 speed gearbox the car will get much smoother acceleration due to the closer ratios. This in turn will also create better FC. This is why all of the expensive cars Eg BMW, Mercs & Lexus are all going for 6 speedrs and above. This is the best way to create better FC. As for the complain from City Owners, are they from the CVT batch or the new 5 speed batch…? But going back to basics, kalau 7 speed pun, if your left leg is heavy, fuel consumption will never be good, but drive it properly and u will see a big improvement on FC.
I drive a 2.5lt Turbo car with a 5 speeder. With RM 120 worth of fuel i can get on average between 650 to 700km. This is a mixture of 50% town driving and 50% highway. If balik kampung, i can easily get more than 800km on a single tank..!
The steering is… yuck~~~
does anyone notice that there is a usb port near socket outlet. try looking at the 7th picture from the top.
if only i have more money….
glad to see Forte on our shore,with all the goodies in Forte,
now we can see how overprice are Honda and Toyota!
@chekusan: i tested the USB, just happened to hav my thumbdrive with me at showroom. it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_^
shame about the 2 years/50,000km warranty though. yeah, that'll bring in the buyers!
i know Mitsu Lancer is not same price/class (? – forte is kind of small for a C-class), but they gave 100,000km or 5 years.
NAZA ARE YOU LISTENING???????
did a test drive today on 1.6SX…interior is very nice…expensive look..very kemas…soundproof ok..but the engine is a bit underpowered when try to pecut…sticking with my saga se order….come on proton cepat sikit lah i waited for 3 weeks already!
Cheap……..torsion beam, handling????
will kia c'eed be launched here?
It is a great car but honestly, what is the record of Kia after sales service………yeah…..settled that one first…..5 yr warranty 200k km mileage….way to go.
It is not that the Vios is so outstanding but the other brands sometimes fail to follow the after sales standard.
i have nothing to complain about this car is EXCEPT the NAZA logo !!!!
P2 need to modify the bumper to have P2 badge on Daihatsu car….What NAZA done to that car,NOTHING…WTF they put NAZA logo :(
KIA already have low resale value here….It is more WORST with NAZA brand
……..Would you buy a NIKE shoe but with BATA logo…sure no right!!!!…….
no kimi…i still buy. Just a logo man…whats the big fuss ??
My house have a 2.0L Kia Sportage. I felt the car was underpower, with low quality and high fuel consumption but a strong, hard, tough body.
Kimi, if you hate the badge, change it yourself lah…
Kimi_,
I get you point but look at it this way..if you can get a Nike shoe at Bata price,would buy it? my answer would be yes..
if you get a nike shoe with a bata logo and everyone know its nike but with a adifferent logo but still at bata price…i would still buy it cause everyone know its a nike !!!get what i mean??
and i can still remove the logo and a put Kia logo on it…i would do that cause i can buy the logo..say rm 50 and replace the naza logo instead of buying it at kia price which would easily be more than Rm 10000 of this Naza forte??
waste_bucket said,
November 27, 2009 @ 12:41 am
Kimi_,
I get you point but look at it this way..if you can get a Nike shoe at Bata price,would buy it? my answer would be yes..
if you get a nike shoe with a bata logo and everyone know its nike but with a adifferent logo but still at bata price…i would still buy it cause everyone know its a nike !!!get what i mean??
and i can still remove the logo and a put Kia logo on it…i would do that cause i can buy the logo..say rm 50 and replace the naza logo instead of buying it at kia price which would easily be more than Rm 10000 of this Naza forte??
—————————————————————-
Car badge can be changed but the shoe's badge cant.
anyone seen the bmw r8?
gonna get this 2.0 forte next yr…
but naza is really dumb ass. 2 year or 50k warranty.
they just wanna sell cars and not willing to service u after the sales.
it's a very bad attitude and strategy.
if some other co hv da license sure they can do it much better than naza, hyundai is a very good example, if the price of i30 is good, i may get 1, but forte rules now.
hope naza is sincere enough to give a 5 yr warranty next yr, not only getting da sales then get rid of it.
in real world, this car is a best looking compact car.
interior is certainly best level in its class.
Korean car almost as good as toyota/honda level. not so much worry about quality and reliability.
In 2003, According to Consumer Reports, Hyundai’s reliability rankings tied Honda’s.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2003-03-11-cr…
Their reliabilty as good as honda 6 years ago.
btw, this car is same class in Honda Civic, Mazda3, Mitsu lancer….
oops. Naza use 40% of parts from 'made in malaysia'.
It is not exactly same car as 'made in korea' Kia.
Nice design!
Action speaks louder than words.
Ive booked and paid my 10% for the 2.0SX. Spicy Red.
It is a great buy although naza badge.
Civic ,vios,city also assemble in malaysia.
lol i'd buy it just for the red paintjob.
wow… cheaper than local perdana…
I think the rear of the Forte looks a bit like the Subareu Legacy
A tip to everyone:
Go test drive the car, throw it around corners and be amazed. The handling is superb.
Need clarification from those who knows…
Does Forte Sedan front bumper can take the soon to be release Force Coupe w/o any modification?
Thanks in advance!
Need clarification from those who knows…
Does Forte Sedan front bumper can take the soon to be release Forte Coupe w/o any modification?
Thanks in advance!
Test drive a Kia Forte 1.6 model of my fren in singapore. I think it should be the same variant offered here in Malaysia. Overall of the car is good, responsive engine, head turner etc.
Would like to make some point here. The engine is the same as our Hyundai Avante thus the engine seems to have some loud noise and the suspension is a bit soft. Other than dat it is a superb car!! Even for me, a die heart supporter of Honda thinking to get one of this :P
Mayb the coupe version will b out soon :P
Keep my finger cross. xp~
Do remember try the manual shift. 2nd gear can up to 120km/h.
Spec sheet on the 2.0 doesn't say it has auto cruise but the unit on display in Pavilion has it. Could it mean :-
1) the first few demo units are indeed CBU? If so and based on what Paul has been told by Kia about all orders being CKD, does this mean we're looking at car qualities that will have a huge difference between what is displayed and what is supplied?
2) we are paying for something more but getting less?
I been comparing the kia and naza model. And I found that something missing from the steering wheel. So what kia pull out from naza?? someone care to explain……
Erm,tis car overall looks nice la the exterior,but y huh the front n rear lamps macam current Honda Civic huh???copy???or slightly copy coz civic dominates the share for so many years in malaysia???but interior especially dashboard macam apek la…not realy nice…should refer more to Honda's cars interior design la,which r modern n young…n dam nice…indeed i dun tink tis car can give a big hit to Civic and Altis lo,coz they r a lot nicer in terms of quality n class…anyway,i dun like d naza logo on it either,should put back KIA la…better look…at last,thumbs up for tis car on its sales!!!
i think you need to see the real thing instead of judging from the pictures. I've visited the showroom during the launching day and I must say that the interior looks better than the picture. quality is good surprisingly. in fact, i think it might have better feel than civic, but definitely better than city/vios standard.
go see the real thing and then share~!
for avoid 300% import tax in malaysia, Naza Kia use 40% components from "made in malaysia".
Naza Kia is not exactly same with '100% made in korea' Kia.
If very early models are CBU, that is the very lucky to early buyers.
wat eatie said here is true oso la,judging from the picture might diverse our opinion instead of c-ing d real thing…:), of coz better than vios/city la,i realy dun dun dun like vios since its launch in 2007 october…dam ugly front head,weird head design!!!old vios was a lot better of its design!!!in terms of city,the dashboard seems not realy nice for me!!!so tis car i tink would realy influence d buyers' mind wif tis budget…but one thing to remind is,my mum's fren bought a naza's car since 3 yers back,banyak problems,tiap2 tahun service like hell though got warranty!!!pocket berlubang!!!n tis car is wif tis badge of NAZA!!!
FORTE/Rondo and Optima all have short back seats, not comfortable for those with long thighs/legs, worst than Waja. Don't think it will affect Vios/City at all, just look at what happened to the new Elantra(nicer car than Forte, and from Hyundai with better aftersale service) and Nissan Latio Sport(cantik). You guys must be dreaming.
just to share. i was sit in my friend's forte (from sinhapore) yesterday, his one is 2.0 variant, bought in SGD57K++ few months ago, with sunroof one.
the car is very quite and got the 'ummm' when pick up. quite confortable.
but one thing no good is the leather seat is rather hot when the car exposed under hot sun.
according to him, the handlong is good and engine is quite reliable. just that fc is little bit high.
The back seat is short for persons with long thighs/legs, same like Rondo and Optima, not comfortable at the back, worse than Waja. Mark my words, it will not affect Vios/City sales, just like the new Elantra and Nissan Latio Sport.
i agreed wat jimmy said…mayb should say toyota & honda got consistent shares in malaysia market,they provide better warranty n after sale service…i bought a honda 2 yers back,i realy surprise wif the sales advisor service,she wil call me once in a while to ask me how is my car n r u comfortable wif it?then during CNY got wishes sumore n road tax renewal time,she wil ask do u nid my help n put d price breakdown in details…i was realy shock wif such an EXCELLENCE service from honda…n it is not after months from u buy d car,is yers!!!imagine she stil remember u!!!right?
ppl still talkin about this
this is great publicity !!
paul, does the naza version has the start stop engine system?
i do not agree with you jimmy. just look at singapore and you'll see how the sales of this forte is going. since it is in the same price range, it will definitely steal some sales away from honda city/toyota vios.
it is a global thingy that this car is being recognized as a leap of improvement. Kia is improving and gaining a lot of attention. However, it's our local naza kia name is tarnished due to the huge discount given to previous model which spoil the 2nd hand value and the bad service experience. i just hope naza kia do improve in line with Kia globally.
eatie,yes it is being recognised n global thingy…but la but la,beg in mind its 40% parts is made in MY,not CBU…so,it is not realy comparable to d global one…or in d korea one…tak sama punya…even japanese brand CBU & CKD got difference in terms of quality…realy!!!tis is y happen in MY ppl rather buy recon cars…coz it is fully imported from its place of origin…
damn nice korean makes :D
waiting for mine…hehe
This is what I get when I go to http://leavesyouspeechless.com.my/ from Naza website…"This account has been suspended.
Either the domain has been overused, or the reseller ran out of resources"…I was speechless…
damn !! after i see the real car in show room , u will forgot about vios and city … large cargo space , 1.6 CVVT , with shifthronic !! damn it where to get 75k car got semiauto !! design front civic + city rear like IS250 !! 1.6ex with 2 air beg and abs !! prefect , prefect !! altis boleh buang …. make my heart wanna to sell my vigo to chance it !! … waiting my turn to test drive !! this coming monday …
i did test drive on forte sx twice on 27th and 28th…………Only one thing i could say…. I am speechless…………….a superb car with great functions and attractive pricing……….Superb handling,… I was even able to accelerate at 110km/h taking a sharp bend( thanks to ESC)………..forte…here i come…..for those who r having a second thought on dis car, pls do a test drive first…….u will love it…adios…
great buy this forte!..but why only 2 yrs warranty by Naza for this KIa?…
Hyundai Sime Darby can give 5 yrs/300,000km for its hyundai cars?
btw, this kia forte selling cheaper at abt S$48k than persona in Spore…
dzat said,
November 29, 2009 @ 5:21 pm
btw, this kia forte selling cheaper at abt S$48k than persona in Spore…
============================================
just check the price at kia Sg.. 1.6 At ~58,999.. COE included.
Anyhow Forte price range will about same as Vios/ City (world wide).. but it definitely can compete directly to Altis/Civic since you can save ~20K if you choose Kim chi over Sushi.. yet you get more safety gadget & not to performance wise..
hopes city/ vios…civic etc used car price will drop dramatically.. haha.. why buy second hand car if price is same with Forte???
Just back from the Forte showroom. Here my comment: spacious, aggressive looks and now I want one!!!!!
I want one!!!!
I tested drive one today! No bad for the features. But the interior quality such as the plastic stuff, definitely can't beat Honday Civic.
Don't mind of getting one depends on what you want. The price is damn impressive.
Forte really looks good.
Why KIA designed like that?
Cool but aggressive.
I also want one!!!!
habislah city, vios, civic, altis….kena pukul habis!!!!
I would buy one just for its looks alone. Forget City and the 'dugong'.
I would buy one just for its looks. Forget City and the 'dugong'.
So over all, this car (KIA Forte) is good? if 1-10, hows you guys going to rate it?
Compare to Nissan Latio (sedan), will you buy Forte or Latio?
Thanks
when forte coupe will be here??
when forte coupe will be here??
The price is really good, 2.0L under 100k, but I worry about the Naza service…The mainteance and after service are quite important too…
the car is nice and the price also nice too ..
looks good…n reasonable price…below 100k…what about the maintenance?….the fuel oil? is it saves?….anyone knows?…
got forte cabrio?
for those who kutuk2 korean car,..ingat i dulu pakai keta potong 4 tahun…masuk workshop 4 kali sebulan,..pas tu guna hyundai accent 2005…nak tau masuk workshop sekali ja selepas 4 tahun,..tu pun nak tukar clucth plate..keta manual 1.5…ingat yang kutuk2 ni tak penah experience keta korea…jgn dengar org cakap ja…minyak utk kia tak tau la..tapi hyundai 2 thumb up la…jimat gila…spare part mcm proton ja…i prefer hyundai xc2.0…forte ni cun jugak….kawan2 yang tak penah drive kia or hyundai..p showroom proton ke perodua..then p test drive kia or hyundai..u will see and feel what i mean….pas 2 tulis kat i mana lebih best!!!!!!! ramai dah yang drive honda mengaku hyundai lazat…..tak caya..go n try!!!!!
Look nice… will be on my 1st priority to buy for my wife for our 15th anniversary. Frankly speaking I am quite disgusted that people keep saying that Korean cars are not competitive enough to the Japanese cars. I have owned the Kia Optima for 5 years and so far everything is still perfectly good if not excellent.. 1st years I travelled almost 100,000km. Used to get ticket for speeding over 180km/h on the way to Jelapang.
I strictly follow schedule maintenance especially the engine oil, transmission oil, timing belt and make sure the water for radiator is well maintain…
Overall I am really satisfy with the performance, lots of safety features, reliability and comparable fuel consumption. In fact my wife enjoy driving my Kia Optima…
Just my 2cents opinion….
for those who have test drive………
does d 1.6SX and 2.0SX come with AUTO CRUISE ????
nice car.. i saw it at giant damansara. did anyone notice when closing the door,sound not so nice if compare to honda city or civic. overall ok,
hyundai ok tp aku tgk interior dia kureng sikit.cam plastik..especially hyundai accent versi lama tu..aku dah book dh kia forte.loan pun dah approve.tunggu keta jer..selama ni pun mmg aku pakai kia..mmg best.takder masalah..cuma minor jer..tp kena jaga la..waktu service kena service la..sebab tu orang tanya nak trade aku tak nak..
went to see the forte 1.6 sx just now…
cant see d auto cruise button :(
Used to drive a Kia Sephia pre-Naza time. As a normal driver, pretty bad experience actually;
1) Lousy service (not the fault of the car I know, but it's the impression that counts)
2) Some parts is decent quality but some is just awful.
3) Seems "heavy" when driving, probably under-powered coupled with some extra baggages like the heating system.
4) Looks like a dugong (it's not my idea to buy the car)
5) A bit worse than the average fuel consumption.
However, on the plus side, the suspension is definitely better than P1/P2 at that time. And i think the power window is more reliable.
Having said that, seeing how Kia has progressed from those days, I might test drive this car and give Kia a second chance.
proton gen 2 cps highline vs Kia Forte 1.6 SX ? which one is better?
i see tat there was a mix opinion about this new car. malaysians r like tat. they want good things but cheap. sedey betul!
i have citra. everything is ok except 4 d maintenance. thinking of changing to forte. will naza accept trade in?
yadzli amn said,
November 30, 2009 @ 6:02 pm
I have owned the Kia Optima for 5 years and so far everything is still perfectly good if not excellent..
—————————————
wow,,now i can see some comment from owner of previous kia model…this one we should read,,,,not
Exora, you bought an Exora?
Ni xo la, you buy Exora.
Real Proton.
Real Bendan
Stupid, you buy Exora.
Real Bendan(stupid)
+++++++++
better buy forte
Forte in SG have windscreen cracking problem, unofficially the cause is due to windscreen supplier. 50+ cases up to yesterday.
http://www.ceratoforte.sg/general-discussion-for-…
Hopefully Kia MY don't get their windscreen from the same supplier!
sure resale value is low, but if u do some scoutings on 2nd hand jap brand, say, vios, average value:-
2003 – 2004 = RM 54 k – RM 59 k
2005 – 2006 = RM 60 k – RM 63 k
2007 – 2008 = RM 64 k = RM 75k
how many ppl willing to fork out that kind of money, huh ?
helo to all.! toyota vios,honda city,nissan latio,suzuki sx4 and proton persona all kena tapau…!!! this car is really good.!
so gusy…
i needed ur opinion…
between the forte 2.0, civic2.0, and the lancer2.0GT.. which want is the best???
c'mon help me guys
so gusy…
i needed ur opinion…
between the forte 2.0, civic2.0, and the lancer2.0GT.. which want is the best???
Front like honda..rear like lancer huh…price..just nice..need opinion 4 da performance…..
nice car but i loe to see the KIA badge instead of NAZA..
more class maa……
raja hakim- the civic 2.0 u can fine the peformance of the car, the lancer yes performance but abit steave and the forte is equal between these two thing.! but the performance can`t match these two..and for the forte, the features is excellent design by audi car maker..!!! and the price is value for money with all the sylish and modern looks have at this car.!
the civic 2.0 u can fined the peformance of the car, the lancer yes performance but a bit steave and the forte is equal between these two thing.! but the performance can`t match these two brands!..and for the forte, the features is excellent design by audi car maker..!!! and the price is value for money with all the sylish and modern looks have at this car.!
for the features,performance…and price…is berbaloi-baloi….
but care full for spare parts…mahal x ingat..
make resale value..very bad..
If someone still picks VIOS trd over this then that would be very weird.
i booked this car few days back and already paid the booking fee and loan has been approved by the bank..after discussions with my wife ,we finally agreed to go for titanium silver..just now the salesman called me and said that the cbu units that arrived here will only have 2 colours available that are bright silver and champion gold( which i havent seen)..why even bother promoting us to other colour in the first place if they are only two colours available…duh..
Almost put a booking for Vios 1.5G on one Monday afternoon. Luckily the Toyota salesman came to my office late when I saw the Forte's ad in Star. Quickly went to the showroom, the Manager known to me had been trying to sell KIA cars to me for the past 7 years but I ended up buying Waja then Civic then Altis subsequently. This time was looking to replace wife's Gen2 1st batch model…the engine and body still excellent but the interior parts already cracked and rattled…I thought Malaysian made cars should withstand with the hot climate unfortunately it was just dissappointment as it gets older.
I test drove the Forte around an hour…my goodness…the quality is as good as my Altis but the ride and handling is stiffer as I expected this from a sportier car to reduce significant body roll while Altis is on the softer side…typically for comfort ride but body roll is quite evident. Anyway, it is a matter of choice but this Forte really is the 1st KIA car that makes me grinning though was a bit worried on the resale value but come to think of it nobody can make money from selling their cars except the used car dealers. My wife lost 55% on 2004 Gen2's value when we wanted to trade-in.
This 1.6 Forte SX is definitely a better value especially in CBU than the Vios assembled in Shah Alam and will put shame to Toyota and Honda for being overpriced. How on earth Naza pull this away by selling it so cheap against the Japs makes. I was very surprised to witness the build quality is very good for the money. The reasons I bought Forte are the safety features are similar to my Altis except it has Keyless entry, Start/Stop Engine button, Heated Side Mirror, Auto Glare Rear Mirror, Auto Light, USB/Ipod ports, 6 CD MP3 Changer at RM30K cheaper than my 2005 Altis…that's really value for money though it can't beat the Altis' size and acceleration…well for 1.6 cc car what more could you ask when compare to any 1.6 cc and below cars available in Malaysia now. My worry on resale value just drifted away and the Bronze Metal Forte shall be delivered to my wife early next week as promised by a good friend and KIA Manager who had been trying to sell KIA cars to me all these years…this time I'm SOLD!
nice comment!!! :-)
1. How is about the spare parts ??
2. Second hand value ??
…anyone can share ideas and experience for the past model Naza.
why?????? Kia badge on the inside…NAza Badge on the outside. So MisMatch…
Sooo uneven…. Feels unbalance…. If i were to buy and drive this car for 3 – 5 years…… i won't feel good inside..always wondering on tis issue.
All your comments made me oogling to test drive this sucker.. XD
I'm convinced will be impressed, but will only consider buying next year.
From pictures, the dash board is quite impressive, don't like the emptiness of Vios and City..
Just hope the engine is as dependable as Japs made. Thumbs up for KIA – Naza.
Yes the "N A Z A" logo tend to put off many people including me when knowing the car is actually "KIA". Anyway, my wife's like the Forte and I was impressed after the test drive. I'm pretty sure it is a CBU unit. I saw lots of "Made In Korea" on it maybe the only thing Made In Malaysia is the NAZA badges. I'll share more once the Forte is delivered to us either this Wednesday or Thursday.
Anyway, I believe what NAZA is doing is quite similar to what "Europestar (Gen2)" in China is doing. It balls down to having the tax and selling price lower for consumers. After a while, when you look at the badge over and over again, it is actually rather "ok" to my honest opinion. It just grown on me.
I booked the 1.6 SX on the launch day. It's the first time I went to a show room to witness a car launch. I was overwhelmed by the car. I paid the booking fee without even test drive the car. From the kerb weight, I know this car is going to be underpowered but I think for daily and normal usage, it should not have any problem. Resale value has never crossed my mind, the only thing that bothers me is the after sale service after going through so many negative comments on this site. I wonder whether those people at NAZA ever read comments posted here, they should take it seriously. The Forte could be the turning point for NAZA KIA just like what Corolla had done for Toyota back in the 60's. I am going to get my car this week, and I am toying with the idea of either forking out some money to have a KIA badge or keeping the NAZA badge intact.
rickyll…congratss
my advice is change to a kia badge. Naturally car have only one brand name and naturally the most important part to display the brand or badge is only on the front lid, back trunk lid and steering. The Forte is almost perfect…keep the branding on the car balance…so you don't have to tink of it everytime you sit in the car… Nothing wrong with NAZA badge…only problem is you can't change the badge on the steering wheel.
Car manufacturers spend hundred millions in R&D to develop the best asthetics to bring out the car's own identity. Don't think other companies should spoil it by spending a few thousand to develop a badge for their convienience sake. Maybe CKD version would have a balance branding.
I'll will definitely order one if the local service center is any good like KIA Singapore, KIA Thailand, KIA Australia, KIA North America.. but to be safe in mind..i'll still go for a civic.
A car is kinda big investment..financially…emotionally…and you gonna drive it for minimum 3-5 yrs…..
Hope Naza will assemble 1.6 manual option as well. As for manual pricing will be below RM75k, and surely, it will be a big hit to the market
the steering wheel come with auto cruise button but on specification datasheet they don’t mentioned any auto cruise system occupied on 1.6SX or 2.0SX. ANYONE CAN HELP ME TO CLARIFY THS THNGS.
_________________
The 1.6SX does not have cruise control, sadly.
I'm an American and will likely be purchasing this car, even though its US variant, which has a 2.4L engine, a power moonroof, Bluetooth integration, and satellite radio, is FAR cheaper over there (equivalent to about RM60K). Professional reviews of this car in the United States are extremely good. My opinion is that for Malaysia's incredibly overpriced car market, this car is a shockingly good value, particularly the 1.6SX.
For only RM6K more than the base model, you get far, FAR more features. If anyone actually buys the 1.6EX, they didn't do their homework at all. However, to move from the 1.6SX to the 2.0SX, there is a huge jump in price (RM12K), and the only additions are the slightly larger engine (and considerably higher road tax), leather seating, the cruise control (almost useless in Malaysia), and motor-driven power steering (presumably instead of electrically driven). That's a lot of money for not a lot of features.
As for the Kia vs. Naza badging, come on. If the Kia badge makes it that much more appealing to you (for the exact same car), I'm sure you can arrange to pay an extra RM20K and have a CBU car imported from S. Korea. As it stands, they import the Kias, rebadge them as Nazas to get the CKD tax break, and you get a lot of car for your money.
Apart from the cool things the salespeople will point out, like the smart key/pushbutton start system, the electrochromic autodimming mirror, and the in-dash 6-CD MP3/USB/iPod stereo system (nice), the car also has very nice features you DON'T see, like electronic stability control, cornering brake control, ABS, traction control system, active headrests, and more. I really don't think there's another car available in Malaysia at this price point that gives you more.
The two-year warranty is a bit lame, I agree. Kias come with ten-year warranties in my country, not sure why such a huge difference here.
"piss off!!!
i want RED!!! y said i need to take blacKK!!??
Dammit!!! Naza, dun asked people to take black when i want REDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!"
thats wut my fren shout this evening to his SA…
lol!!!
mmmm…..
Love the look of Forte.. but have not seen one live yet.. I dont bother about the badge. I saw a proton with ferrari badge with the horse statue!!! so what!! I am driving Spectra for 5 years now.. I swore getting japs for my next car but looking at Forte..I could just stay with Naza Kia. Only few things in doubt is the reliability of the body as a whole. Dunno about CBU but for CKD, I have doubt with assembly quality in Pekan factory. I experienced this with my Spectra. The ABS is not functioning after 4 years using.. now with lot of squeking noise. Resale value is none..got to live with it forever.. so I still have one year paying the Spectra before I can grab Forte. Other thing is spare part price for Kia cars is way too much!! even compared to Toyota and Honda!! I guess this is how Kia grow their margin. Cheap cars but expensive spare parts. So anyone driving Kia in Malaysia.. treat your car like you treat your wife.. hope the relationship last forever……..
Chad said, "The two-year warranty is a bit lame, I agree. Kias come with ten-year warranties in my country, not sure why such a huge difference here."
Well, the answer to that is Malaysian Cars Franchise Holders are "Chicken", they themselves are not confident enough with the cars that they are selling to guarantee customers until ten years. The longest I heard is Proton with 5 years warranty…gosh that one also is an extended warranty after the 2 years warranty where the financing banks need (force) to pay the premium on behalf of customers instead of themselves, i.e. Proton interest rates are always higher then other makes coz' the banks need to cover the premium costs. I knew this from my brother who owns a 4 years Waja when he realised the 2+3 years warranty is actually splited between Proton (2 years) and Insurance Companies (3 years). When come to the Insurance Companies, there are so many non-coverage of spare parts. I suspected Perodua could be the same coz' they are also having higher interest rate but I'm not too sure. I could be wrong.
naza,hyundai @ kia..tak ada guna kalau di beli @ pakai di sarawak @ sabah..sebab spare part takde..kalau ada pun harga mesti mahal punya..kita yg kat sarawak @ sabah takde pilihan lain…
Undi lagi BN orang Sarawak dan Sabah barang naik gaji tak naik, harga kereta naik, electric tariff nak naik lagi tahun depan.
i reli doubt about korean cars gearbox… if u compare japanese car with korean car … japanese car juz have a bigger advantage
Malaysian car and other cars got no problem meh? Gearbox on perdana V6 many-many problem.Other manufacturer also got problem.
Dear Paul,
From your point of view (during test drive in korea),can you confirm whether the koup front bumper can be fitted to the forte :)
Very fun to see people still dragging out their experience with KIA Spectre everytime they comment on blogs about KIA models. I realized lot of Malaysian have the perception that every idiotic car markets in the world work like Proton. Obviously there is only 1Proton. (ha ha spot the cliche!!)
I hope these people get out of there their collective 1Malaysia tempulung & look up the world out there^^
Last weekend I drove up next to a car I thought was an Audi from the back.
Suddenly I realized it's actually a white Kia Forte!!
I think the Forte Koupe will be a killer:)
Yahoo Auto just named Kia Forte Koup as one of the worst cars in their market. But why? http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_lan…
pennstater said,
December 16, 2009 @ 6:45 pm
Yahoo Auto just named Kia Forte Koup as one of the worst cars in their market. But why?
__________________
No, they didn't. The article was about the worst car NAMES. Has nothing to do with the cars themselves. Read the article. In fact, just read the headline. "Worst Car Names." The article explains why they don't like "Kia Forte Koup" even though they like the car. I've copied and pasted their reasoning here:
"As writers, we're particularly offended when companies take liberties with the English language in an effort to be cutesy — and this is no exception. We actually like this car! But Kia is asking us to overlook years of schooling and experience to accept their quirky spelling of coupe."
Make no mistake, the Kia Forte is a very well-reviewed car in the US market. However, there it is marketed (apparently) as the Forte "Koup" and that weird spelling is what the writers of this list didn't like.
P.S. Here's a review from the US market:
http://www.insideline.com/kia/forte/2010/2010-kia…
Note the larger engine as standard on the SX (2.4 liter) and ridiculously lower price point.
pennstater said,
December 16, 2009 @ 6:45 pm
Yahoo Auto just named Kia Forte Koup as one of the worst cars in their market. But why?
Toyota Yaris name is also mentioned as a worst name along with Forte Koup. But in my personal opinion…"Koup" is not so bad compare to "Yaris"….gosh it's an ugly name.
Very tempting package except the durability factor.
So many electronic gadgets at such a low price.
The VIOS J still feels like a safer bet although the Forte is a bigger car.
The City 5 speeder has reasonably good fuel consumption if the driver is not always in a rush.
Unlike 4 speeders which are not so sensitive to lower power outputs, this 5 speeder auto cannot be expected to perform like a bmw or large engine car.
Korean cars have always impressed me with solid bodywork.
The warranty part is a bit worrying. Why not 100k km plus extended warranty?
Paul,
Just to let you know i borrowed one of your picture on my blog and linking it back to you. Hopes you don't mind.
Regards,
KH
hi.. does anyone knows whether the 1.6EX comes with the immobilizer or not?
calvin said,
December 21, 2009 @ 11:29 am
hi.. does anyone knows whether the 1.6EX comes with the immobilizer or not?
You may check out here http://www.forte.my/ for details.
never trust naza, I'm using citra…give me a lot of problem. naza salesman also citted me about the insurance.
Just my two cents from Canada….I have had the 2.4 litre 2010 Forte SX with all the bells and whistles for over 4 months now….love it immensely. It is an awesome car and a head turner…KIA have had this spot on – the Corollas and the Civics pale in comparison- the car is cheap(price wise)- and very very reliable and safe- one of the highest crash test ratings to get a fantastic Insurance cover. Just shoot any questions you may have….
Sandy, not sure about your canada version of Forte…
but have tested Forte 1.6…
Forte's road noise and engine noise is very obviously heard, for this car, cannot say the NVH is good to me….
surprisingly the rear seats space is quite close to new honda city only… if you have 180cm tall, sitting at the rear centre will hit the head…
one things turns me down is the 50,000KM warranty (2 years), for driving highway quite often, after 1 year the warranty will be gone…
why naza has no confidence on giving longer warranty period for this car ???
if Hyundai cars now got 5 years (300,000KM) warranty…. why not Kia…
also, have been hearing lots of bad experiences from few friends who service their cars at Naza… it is like no positive and keep telling me they would not buy cars from Naza again… that scares me from getting car from Naza…
i just visited the showroom… Nice car in and out BUT the door panel, i must say it's rather "cheap"…. Other than that i have no complains…
Thinking to let go my 2005 city and get Forte 2.0. I still have 4 years installment to go for my city at RM890 a month. Now market price is around 56k. If I trade in then I will loan about 80k for this Forte.
Monthly will still repayment the same at about 900 except the loan become 9 years again.
My worry was after 5 years, if going to change a new car again. Will Forte 2nd hand value will give me 14k just like my city now?
Pls help to give comment if you are in the same situation as me.
Tks.
wonderful car with a reasonable price………………….i like it!
kalau dari segi luaran mmg cantik… tp dari segi minyak? rasa2 kereta toyota vios lagi jimat minyak… practical…
I just test drive the 1.6 SX with speed 80 – 90 km/hr. My comment is i still can hear noisy from the outside, the tyre not suitable with 16 " alloy wheel, engine so hard to accelerate with 5 passengers, interior design seen not attractive, suspension little big hard and fuel consuming not friendly with 4 speed/gear shift. My suggestion, the KIA suppose to redesign the interior itself and engineering to suit with the good design of exterior the car.
yadzli amn said,
November 30, 2009 @ 6:02 pm
Look nice… will be on my 1st priority to buy for my wife for our 15th anniversary. Frankly speaking I am quite disgusted that people keep saying that Korean cars are not competitive enough to the Japanese cars. I have owned the Kia Optima for 5 years and so far everything is still perfectly good if not excellent.. 1st years I travelled almost 100,000km. Used to get ticket for speeding over 180km/h on the way to Jelapang.
I strictly follow schedule maintenance especially the engine oil, transmission oil, timing belt and make sure the water for radiator is well maintain…
Overall I am really satisfy with the performance, lots of safety features, reliability and comparable fuel consumption. In fact my wife enjoy driving my Kia Optima…
Just my 2cents opinion….
—————————————————————
spot ON….so far my 2005 hyundai trajet MPV have been more reliable than my 2006 honda city…
Hei forte owner pls update us lar on how is the car, at least we know the value of the car. Keep on updating la. Like to see how the car perform and how is the car maintanance. I like this car but a bit worried by the word of mouth that has been going on.
Booked mine…. where can get car at 80k comes with all the features
really value for money. I got the 1.6EX CBU yesterday.
I've tested the sound system and it was really awesome. Interior looks good for me and the the exterior are amazing. I think it's a value buy but for now I can't afford it. Waiting to settle down first.
Malaysians always like that… wanna buy car, think of secondhand value… how to get a good car? Wait… think back.. why? Coz we're paying for overpriced cars until we need the secondhand value so we can change car when it's over 5 years or 7 years old (maybe stretched it to 9)…
So is Forte a Value for Money buy? Formula: OTR price – Trade-in-Value after installlment = Cost of Forte, then compare against other cars. Leave the maintenance out for now.
if there is petrol smell coming in from air cond ventilation. lasted for a minute or two. it only happens when i full pump the tank. wht will be the main reason? help needed here pls.
Andrew,
I think u should check ur air cond circular mode to switch it to only interior and not exterior as i am not sure with forte whether it comes with but Rondo had this..
ORVR – Onboard Refueling Vapour Recovery system and what it does is that
it prevent fuel vapours into car interior and atmosphere and the ORVR system is design to allow vapours from fuel tank to be loaded into a canister while refueling and is absorb in the on board canister so when ur engine is running the vapours are drawn into PCSV – Purge Control Solenoid Valve control by the ECM
So when ur car engine temperature is cool the PCSV closes so that evaporated fuel is not taken into the engine and when the engine warms up it will open up to introduce the evaporatd fuels to the engine..
Not sure whether the Gamma comes with this features but the Theta II should..
Cheers,
All those people knows hows to comment and hear from those people who never own a Korean car.Korean and Japanese is on the same level of production……what happened to the japanese car nowadays….PULL BACK ???? 1500 cc the price OTR more than 70K…Safety only certified in ASIA????…..so think it wisely brother……Try to understand and have a total look at these car……dont just judge by it cover…..org Malaysia semua pandai CAKAP saja…tak kira melayu,india,cina, semua nya pandai ckp pandai komen….
Thanks god! i love my beloved Forte (black – CBU unit).. Be a smart buyer for a SMART CAR… value for your money. – cheers
I'm waiting my titanium silver forte…….
My opinion…Forte is the best car compare than vios & city.
Test drive all above car recently… Forte is the best! Beside that specs, interior etc. are better compare than vios & city….
untuk pengetahuan semua spec kia forte ni di middle east (dubai dan iran)dikenali dengan nama kia cerato tp spec lebih mengancam dan hebat…..knp naza tak bawa masuk spec yg mcm ni ke malaysia……
I dont know why I still can't believe that this car is comparable with Civic and Lancer… help!!!!
shah, I take it you are comparing Civic 2.0 & Lancer 2.0 with Forte 2.0. Well, for the obvious one, Forte & Lancer has the same engine type with different code name. Civic has 5speed auto gear against Lancer & Forte. Anyway, test drives all these 3 cars when Forte 2.0 arrives, pick up the brochures and compare the specifications. Lastly, tepuk dada tanya selera and see if you can see yourself in any of these 3 cars. Good Luck!
Yeah you got it right CASTELO..
forte memang best!! dah wat test drive hr ni feature n handling memang excellent n stabil brbanding dgn CT n Vios, but interest dh naik jd 3.5% utk 9thn bln lpas bleh dpt lg 2.9% so miss gak la…tnya SA nape interst naik? itu BNM punya hal la..tp memang smua int. naik tmasuk CT n Vios..kna restructure smula bajet la..
all the road i c comparing within the Sun country’s and the TaiChi country’s motocar…..
but what the hell is it dude, because of Naza logo?
what if u see the recent LOTUS R3 Proton Satria – RM116k with Kampong steering and still Malaysian type pulastic dashboard, and tuned 1.6 CPS (Cari Pasal Saja).
Puiii…. 1.6 worth 100over K??
they are all different category lah, all worth the price. Make sure u tutup mata sit at passenger seat and feel satria, civic, lancer, and forte. see what u going to tell me!!!
u will be amaze by urself like the old advertisement comparing Coke n Pepsi.
all this within our budget dude……. 2.0 forte under RM100k, what else do you expect….
go buy Perdana lah.. pundek.
My fren bought 1.6 forte CBU on last dec. Now he is having problem on the tyre alignment. Sent the car to normal workshop n the foreman inform him that he is not the 1st to have this problem on forte. Does any other forte user have this problem??
Tell your friend to check the tyre pressure and redo the alignment at SC. Korean road tend to slope lower to the left than Malaysian road. I had the same problem too…but now no problem after 5 months driving the car. The new tyres were really hard, after a while it will soften and less bumpy unless you want to change to new softer tyres…it’s up to you. Hope it helps.
Today I test drive this FORTE and there is no word to discribe…SUPERBBBBBB.
I’m goint to book one next wk.The ” trafic light”(someone mention previously) meter is really a great job. Well done!!!!.
Welcome to the club are you getting the 1.6 or 2.0..
there is a forum for all forte owner where evryone shares the same interests..
kiafortemalaysia.com
Cheers,
I’m going for the 1.6 SX its really power for that big body.I add in lather sit for another RM2500, and the SA said its only for the sit front and back and not for the site doors.I ask the SA for a good bargain and he agreed to add for the site doors.(of couse foc).And one more thing actually two, the KIA logo and full tank of fuel ,he promise.Is it a good bargain for RM2500???
Can’t wait for the car……… Thanks.
Should be good as i m buying mine with only given with Kia emblem..
anyway congrats and do surf the forte forum for feedbacks on lots of interesting
topic with rgds to Forte..
Cheers,
thanks samn.. will pass this info to my fren.
Dalam dilema….Forte @ Mazda 2…. Anybody can help me….
I pakai forte since Dec’09. So far x de problem. tepuk dada tanya selera.. terpulang pada you la kan.. sbb duit n budget masing2.
Good luck
forte owner n mazda 2 owner…. please give ur opinion…. help me…
Each florist will says their flower is prettier..
1.Test drive to decide
2.Compares what u pay and what u get
3.Most importantly ur driving comfort,experience & technology who cares about
passenger anyway..
4.Go to car forums and read the Forte & Mazda owners reviews and i am sure
u will have ur answer..
Happy Hunting..
Cheers,
yup,dats true
btw forte rulez………..
Forte besar , mazda small.
Betul. mmg besar dlm dia walaupon dr luar nampak mcm kecik je. so far i pakai since Dec’09 x pernah ada problem.
Minyak macam mana? Service?
minyak ok ..1 KM tak sampai 0.13sen je..
Servis pun ada saprepart pun ada..
boleh contact kalu berminat..
i’ve booked forte 2.0… hope this car as good as people said… from my observation. forte was better than vios trd or city,,, just wondering why a good car like forte have a low price…
Forte now has 6 speed.
tgh pikir nak book yg mana… since the price is around the same..
1. Honda civic 1.8
2. Chevy Cruze 1.8
3. Naza Forte 2.0
I haven’t test drive any of them…. anyone who have tested those machines please share…. tq.
bro aku dh angkat forte 1.6 sxi memang berbaloi2 la bro..kira puashati la dgn hrga 82K dpt keta yg sedap bwak n sdap mata mmandang..hehe…but better u test drive all of car n study feature2 yg ada..bru u tau mane yg paling bestt…be the smart buyer bro..
just wondering if i wanted to book n buy a forte1.6 SX, how long do i have to wait? is it ready stock?
prince ameron says:
18/6/2010 at 12:56 am
Naza is the (local brand) so Naza KIA without TAX!!!
what the heck 2 years warranty? in other countries they offer 10 years warranty!
anyone has test drive the 2.0? how was the performance. anyway pls share la if you already own one cause want to know how is the car
Congratulations, Forte owner! You own a handsome car indeed! Enjoy!!
mariani ayu omar says:
12/4/2010 at 1:23 pm
Hmm…Forte is much better than Mazda 2!bigger engine and space!i freaking love Forte :)
gonna book mine tomorrow.. SA said if loan approve within a week then can get the car coz already in stock.. at last made my decision after considering persona and city