Kia Forte 5-Door unveiled at NYIAS 2010

Kia Motors exhibited this 5-door hatchback version of the Forte at the 2010 New York International Auto Show and I personally am quite surprised that this car exists.

After all, the Forte and Forte Koup was supposd to be 4 door and 2 door versions of the Kia Cee’d platform, and now the Forte 5-door seems to clash with the Cee’d in the Kia product portfolio. Perhaps the Forte 5-door will replace the Cee’d in Europe, or both products will run side by side with the Cee’d as an EU-only product while the Forte 5-door tackles the rest of the world.

Another exciting bit of news is that Hyundai-Kia’s new 6-speeder automatic transmission has been slotted in the Forte 5-door! This means it’s very very likely that when the Forte facelift rolls along, it’ll get the same 6-speeder too. With the Forte’s price/value proposition in Malaysia that will certainly add very much to the appeal as it will improve the drive significantly.

Look after the jump for more pix of the Forte 5-Door.

[zenphotopress number=999 album=1019]

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • What a hot hatch!

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  • Zidane on Apr 02, 2010 at 11:14 am

    I still prefer the sedan

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  • kazama on Apr 02, 2010 at 11:18 am

    price should be expensive like the latio and jazz..but very nice and sporty looking..

    we’ll see the next kia forte facelift with 6 speed auto

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  • Alan James on Apr 02, 2010 at 11:22 am

    Looks good to me.hope the price is cheaper than the saloon.

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    • redwings on Apr 02, 2010 at 12:46 pm

      no way to be cheaper than sedan… with 6speeder and hatchback… it should be higher with at least 5k..

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  • MyCarMyLife on Apr 02, 2010 at 11:27 am

    Getting better and better all the time, what’s happening? we in MY are dreaming or in deep slumber , Surely can’t catch up at the speed My economy is moving ! sigh!

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  • 4agze on Apr 02, 2010 at 11:27 am

    damn cool..like caldina already although this is a hatchback

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  • AlphaBravia on Apr 02, 2010 at 11:28 am

    short version of forte! for ladies would be nice.

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    • lkf0512 on Apr 02, 2010 at 3:24 pm

      I am a guy but I don’t mind getting myself one of this as long as it serves its purpose… :)

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      • Mazda MPS is a stoopid guy on Apr 02, 2010 at 6:39 pm

        ditto…IMO sedan is for lady because of big trunk (so can fit their shopping lots!)

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  • loveMazda3 on Apr 02, 2010 at 11:36 am

    new competitor to Mazda3 HB!

    but I think will takes about 2yrs b4 reach malaysian market..

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  • endreyip on Apr 02, 2010 at 11:38 am

    loved it! but still prefer my sedan

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    • bean maeko on Apr 02, 2010 at 2:20 pm

      deny dat guilty feelings hah!…. this hatcback looks better than sedan. paint it striking red or pearl white….

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  • Geforce on Apr 02, 2010 at 11:40 am

    Hopefully the face lift Forte can get the 6 speeder box too.

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  • Cynical on Apr 02, 2010 at 11:44 am

    It looks good. And 6 speed auto? Wow.. Kia is improving by leaps and bounds nowadays

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  • Michael Choo on Apr 02, 2010 at 12:00 pm

    cee’d family for Europe / Forte family for outside of Europe…perhaps only 2 or 3 countries in the world where Forte and cee’d are both available….

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  • Simon on Apr 02, 2010 at 12:00 pm

    It looks nice, like a Ver 10 subaru without the chrome back lights. Brilliant design

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  • Ketaku ketamu on Apr 02, 2010 at 12:08 pm

    First pic reminds me of satria neo.. most design today looks alike each others..

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  • Kaki kereta on Apr 02, 2010 at 12:13 pm

    Really nice car. But we have a better car..called Satria Neo Lotus F1. Why don’t Proton sell the car in US and overseas sure laku punya.

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    • Hahahahahahahahahah!!!

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    • endreyip on Apr 02, 2010 at 1:15 pm

      you’re joking, right?

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    • The Loner on Apr 02, 2010 at 1:26 pm

      Don’t even think the US will allow that to be easily approved Proton to go to their market with their own strict environmental rules, safety and fuel consumption rate imposed to all vehicles to be sold there.

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  • psychedelic on Apr 02, 2010 at 12:32 pm

    mazda 3 hatchback is 10 times hotter

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  • this will be my next car

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  • pulge on Apr 02, 2010 at 12:42 pm

    Need some time to get used to this one. Looks promising though.

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  • coupe n sedan much better than this!

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  • Anak Malaysia on Apr 02, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    look too boxy…. prefer the sedan….

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  • somehow the rear kinda looks like toyota caldina…
    perhaps its just me, but it really2 does resemble the caldina…

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    • maybe coz of the ‘long-almost-triangle’ rear light.
      but for me that’s good.. coz i admire caldina too, heheh.

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  • Danial on Apr 02, 2010 at 3:30 pm

    hope will come here…please please..

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  • This looks right proportionally….the sedan version looks like small sedan pretending to be medium sedan

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  • pomen_GTR (Member) on Apr 02, 2010 at 5:44 pm

    is it just me or the the rear looks like ralliart lancer hatch?

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  • bobdbilder on Apr 02, 2010 at 5:50 pm

    Its a lame engine. Six speeder automatic on a 1.6? Exterior is eye catching only in Koup. Has any one of you guys actually read the engine specs? Yeah they did say the design was supposed to be the deal clincher, coz the performance is not.

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  • Paul Tan on Apr 02, 2010 at 5:58 pm

    A 6-speeder can make a lot of difference. Compare the same normally aspirated 1.6 liter BMW-PSA Prince engine in the MINI Cooper with a 6-speed auto and in the Peugeot 308 VTi with a 4-speed auto, and you’ll see what I mean.

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    • sparrow on Apr 03, 2010 at 12:39 am

      if 6 speed is here.. i wondering how can i upgrade my forte to opt the 6 speed tranny… :(:(:(:(

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  • lowprofile on Apr 02, 2010 at 6:21 pm

    the sedan is gorgeous… to me, this hatch is not worthy of peter schreyer’s name at all!!

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  • Type F on Apr 02, 2010 at 6:48 pm

    Can’t wait for facelift version of forte 6-speed sedan!!

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  • pontan on Apr 02, 2010 at 6:48 pm

    caldina back , just hv looks .

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  • tunomura on Apr 02, 2010 at 7:01 pm

    this is what satria neo should be…5 doors!!

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  • shawal on Apr 02, 2010 at 8:03 pm

    Kia’s Pro_Ceed looks the business!…check it out

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  • think on Apr 02, 2010 at 8:07 pm

    go ahead kia…we support you for your work hard,,not from protection….

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  • Fortelover on Apr 02, 2010 at 10:18 pm

    maybe few years later my forte can transplant with this 6-speed gearbox at chop shop….then will be superb~!
    but the law that GOVT will stop the chop shop to import halfcut in some where 2011?2012?is it still there?

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  • Salamander on Apr 03, 2010 at 4:53 pm

    The back of the car remind me on Subaru Impreza Hatchback.

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  • not really cool lol……

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  • transformer (Member) on Apr 03, 2010 at 11:55 pm

    from side view there are three windows, the smaller ones should go.. dare to be different doesnt pay well this time… 3 window looks too busy… two windows looks nicer!

    can anyone try chopped out that one… just remove the plastic bar and blend the whole windows towards the door gaps… it will looks much nicer…

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  • puteripapunika on Apr 04, 2010 at 7:57 am

    Looks like a Hyundai i30, with Forte features (lights, grille, etc). No, seriously, it does, just like how the Kia c’eed is an i30 with different features.

    Now, the question is what does this model offer over Kia’s sister company’s competing model? The c’eed is offered in the EU as a budget version of the i30. Will Kia do the same thing with this version of the Forte?

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  • CopyCat on Apr 05, 2010 at 7:28 am

    WTH, this is a big copy cat.

    Audi bravo, many of car makers are copying your designs.

    (will be getting my lil Q5 2 weeks later, :D).

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    • thats probably because Audi’s former designer is Kia’s chief designer now. good to see you being proud with ur lacked info in ur brain

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  • nice hatch

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  • Finders on Apr 19, 2010 at 3:23 am

    Forte1.6sx and new city..what better 2 choesd?i heard maintainn high for forte..can gve detailed about high maintainn for forte??pls coment

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    • Forter on Apr 20, 2010 at 10:32 am

      Finders:

      Just the routine maintenance costs posted at their official website for your comparison (exclusive parts). Btw, Honda’s parts are quite expensive too.

      1k 10k 20k 30k 40k 50k 60k 70k 80k 90k 100k 120k Total
      city 0 0 360 291 829 215 544 215 829 291 1235 4809
      Forte 0 0 210 350 440 150 590 150 440 340 265 735 3670

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  • seksek on Jun 12, 2010 at 4:03 pm

    The car had a good value now.but i had vy bad experience in Kia Spectra ‘s ABS cant be repair after 3 yearas warranty expired….Nearly goto Death… cant consider their after sales service in KL

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