One of the sexiest cars to come out of South Korea is finally going to hit Malaysian shores next month. Naza Kia has just announced that it will be launching the new Kia Forte Koup on the 3rd of March 2011. The Forte Koup will come with a sole engine option of 2.0 litres with CVVT, producing 156 horsepower and 194Nm of torque.
This engine will be mated to a new 6-speed transmission, up 2 cogs from the previous 4-speed auto found in the Forte that was first launched here. You can swap between the 6 gears via paddle shifts on the steering wheel.
The Forte Koup will also come with a sunroof, automatic climate control, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, a 6-CD changer, a push-start ignition button. Compared to the sedan, the Koup has a widened track and lowered ride height.
All three variants of the Kia Forte sedan will also be officially updated to 6 gear ratios on the 3rd of March launch date. There are several new features for the 6-speed Forte such as foldable side mirrors, a rear view camera, and steering column operated Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity.
We don’t have the official word on prices yet so stay tuned! A quick check on Mudah for “Forte Koup” reveals a total of 6 ads priced around RM115.8k.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
I had actually booked this car (They badge it as Kia Cerato Koup in Malaysia) 2 weeks before Chinese New Year and was promised to be able to get the car before Chinese New Year but no sound till now. There will be only 40+ CBU available and they market it as limited edition in Malaysia but I believe they will bring in more if it is accepted by Malaysian which I doubt.
This is really a nice looking car, priced at the right point with lots of gadgets which we can’t find in other competitor’s models. The only thing that disappointed me was the promises by Naza Kia is just empty. The customer service is so terrible till I have slowly getting reluctant and lodge a complaint to Kia Korea regarding the poor management by Naza Kia. I will be worrying what if I claim some parts faulty under warranty and they ask me to wait for the parts from Korea or Singapore for few weeks? Naza Kia is very good on pushing the responsible to each other departments and delay the promised delivery time.
If you want a well priced car with a bad customer service or not trust-able company, go for Naza Kia and if you prefer a better customer service or after sales support in near future, FORGET about Naza Kia.
The most worrying part in purchasing a car is the after sales service. No matter how good the car is if the after sales service is bad or the people of the service department are indifferent to customers; sales will go to the drain. Claim of warranty of parts spoiled should be replaced without customer pleading or even to an extend begging. Words will go round and beautiful cars will stay in the yards for good. I hope Korean car makers will make sure your ‘3S’ really works. Keep your spare parts at reasonable price. Kia Naza or Hunydai Sime, please keep up to your promises before and after sales!!! it will be sad to see beauties of Korea extinct from our road.
It basically shows that the NAZA management is interested to sell vehicles, but has no long term commitment to service its customers. Hopefully it will not turn into a fly by night company.
welcome 2 da club bro..join us>>> myforteclub.com (naza kia FORTE CERATO KOUP owners club)
Tahtingting, I am not a Kia owner but just interested to know; in your opinion & experience, how you rate forte against the competitor? I.e.: reliability, maintenance, FC etc. Also this is open to all Forte owners. Appreciate your comment
Let me answer it for u
My forte 1 years old 4 speed
Fc 5.0-10.0 depending how u drive
Last time i drove forte to penang hills (i forgot the name of that hill) with 4 people inside. Climbing and stop in the midle of hills.
The pickup very good. U dont need to press hard. And the breaking system very good compare To some other cars. Also more stable when conering. Eventho u got 4 speed not 6 speed. Still got torque. Try race with h n t. And u know will who win
Yes its true. The after sales suck. The techcinian there drive n make ur car like their own car. The best part is their empty promises. But dont worry. Nowdays i see a lot assesories and spare part for corean cars. U should know that the more forte on the road.. They more shop/sparepart/accs for forte. Join our club to see it
Myforteclub.com or fb : myforteclub
Best regards,
Forte owner
*Who will win
Very good engrish LOL
Just wondering what model that you owned? I bet is the 2.0 variant.
Based on feedbacks by my colleagues who owned Forte 1.6, they all regretting for not getting the 2.0cc model.
Btw, Forte n Lancer n Inspira shared the same 4B11 engine, though the tuning might a bit different. :)
Sorrry to Fritz,..i had a bad experience with Naza KIA…problem never end!..yes i agreed with yc.low
It wont be only 40 units available. This is just a salesman strategy to get your money in first while waiting for the car.
I did venture to 2 Naza showrooms (1 in JB and another in KL), both side mentioned that waiting for JPJ and our Customs to clear the paperwork would take about 2 month (This was in early January), so launch in March is fair.
The Kia Forte is a C-segment car, so it competes with Honda Civic, Subaru Impreza, Volkswagen Jetta, Volvo S40 and Nissan Bluebird Sylphy, while Forte Koup competes with Peugeot 308 CC, Volvo C30/C70 and Volkswagen Eos.
it’s correct that the Forte is a c-segment car but making it a 3-door car doesn’t make it compete with the 308cc and EOS, which are hardtop CONVERTIBLES and some other cars u mentioned. It’s still a C-segment coupe at most. It was actually made for the US market at first to compete with the likes of Civic Coupe etc.
As long as we are in the comfort zone and protected, the customer service is never good.
Have you ever heard about excellent services from Proton/TNB/TM/etc?
Do you think they are capable to fight 1 on 1 or man to man? If one day they are able to do that which also means they have already improve the customer service… one day perhaps…
without doubt u must the sales man for Japs car…..loser
Bro, booking 2 weeks before CNY and you expect to get it by CNY! You are very gullible to believe the salesperson.
I’ve booked my Sorento in December last year and expecting before CNY still haven’t got it, also citing customs clearance, blah..blah..blah…
It’s a perenial problem sales dept likes to give empty promises to secure sales.
1 question: is the six speeder gear box the same as hyundai one tt they claim is maintenance free?
Was the promise made by “Naza Kia” or a salesman? You should get your facts straight and sue the salesman instead of slandering the company.
Paul, are u sure about the rear view camera n foldable side mirror for the koup?
The steering to me looks very nice. Hope Proton can come up with a nice-looking steering like that. Looks even better than honda’s supposedly futuristic looking one.
RM115.6k..? wow i really dont expect that cheap… i tot 130k… nice…
actually you need to have at least 130k .. 15k keep for after sales services. better if u have 150k.. so you can fly to korea everytime u need spare part.
You can buy in Singapore dude…
Dude, you don’t need to fly to korea, just pump it up and cross the causeway…
This will certainly boost Kia’s image in Malaysia. Looking at the number of Forte on the road (5000+), I’m sure it will be a success. Next they should bring in the cool Kia Soul.
Kia Coup – Thumbs Up! Honda new Civic – Thumbs Down!
kia soul is coming soon
Also…
Forte LPI Hybrid – Thumbs Up! Civic Hybrid – Thumbs Down!
Wow. Nice ride with a bargain price.
Goodbye Inspira… Welcome 6-speed Forte!!
Very nice car indeed but why goodbye Inspira … the two are world apart in term of target market – sedan/koup, 4 doors/2doors, family/single etc.
Just waiting for any chance to bash Proton eh..?
Hmm..if you read Wolfsburg’s comment properly..he said “welcome 6-speed Forte” instead of Forte Koup..so the question should be redirected back to you sir..do read the comments properly and comprehend them before coming up with such conclusions
hermm today I went to proton and I saw inspira with 17″ rims and also sunroof. could this be inspra SE…
look so tempting.
Where will be Forte LPI Hybrid? If it comes, it will compete with Civic Hybrid.
Yup, some Malaysian cars (include taxi) uses LPG. The New Forte LPI Hybrid using LPG and electric motors, which is uncommon combination for the hybrid cars. Naza will import this C-segment hybrid sedan, alongside Forte Koup.
Finally picked up my 2.0L 6 Speed Face Lift Forte yesterday ;-) 10 mins after delivery, I knew it was the right choice vs Inspira.
What sealed the deal for me earlier vis a vis Inspira was the electronic safety package of Forte (ABS, ESP, CBC, Traction Ctrl, 8 airbags ) and the 6 speed gear box (I personally do not like to drive CVT gear box cars).
For those of you wondering, both Mitsibishi Lancer / Inspira 4B11 and Kia Theta II are basically the same block (jointly developed by Mitsubishi – Hyundai – Chrysler), with each company having it’s own top end & intake / outlet.
I’ve been seeing this car on the roads of our southern neighbour for the past 2 years and now only it’s getting launched in Malaysia. Well better late than never. I’ve got to say that the Koreans are beginning to take automotive designing to a higher level with each new car they launch.
nice. remind me of the time when proton putra was launched by proton long time ago. there are not so many affordable coupe availabe in malaysia compare to 2-door hatch. maybe the market of the coupe in malaysia is small but there are people who like that and willing to buy.
I saw this car tested in Putrajaya a few weeks ago..nice looking car!!
Reasonable price.
This is a great car.
Sat in one before. Good ride quality. Great sound system. Well equiped.
Not very fast though, but its more like a cruiser not bruiser.
My wife`s getting one!!!
Naza should price it down to just under RM100K to grab the VIOS/City market. That is BIG market! RM98K will fire up the whole market of T & H City/Vios market. Common NAZA!
How is Naza common?
Come on Naza perhaps? :D
But Naza is common already. Many Fortes are out on the road, not to mention the much maligned Peugeot 207.
i agree.
its a reasonable price for korean…but not enticing enuf.
try to make it arnd 100k ! many sedan jap cars are still arnd 70-110k range…
jap cars but not jap coupes. there is a difference. right now, i think the koup is in a market all by itself. no real competition.
they have the entry spec forte sedan to fight the city and vios. that is already good enough. the koup is an image model and i guess they don’t even need to sell many. at the prices found on mudah, it is good enough already. this is the 2.0 and not the 1.6.
deym! :D
Seen the Koup in Brunei before…nice is the only word i can think of..
With the new 6 speed gear, worth the money..
in term of reliability, not sure..
Very reliable……i am one of those having a forte…2 years already……never gave me any problem. sip fuel too, my 1.6 averages 500km in town for rm80 worth of petrol.
them mine much more sip fuel, Rm60 can get 600km.
wow..at that price,it even undercuts the hyundai coupe and it comes with better equipments..truly woth it i guess…to bad i’ve bought the 4 speed forte.really geram about the new 6 speed gear box ;(
relax bro..we still the pioneer owners.. don regret it..hihi..
I wish pioneer status can entitle us to get datukship..lol. ;p
Not sure about you guys, but the design of the car quickly become stale and boring now. Not exactly a timeless kind of design.
nice to see…nice to hear…but cannot afford it…
Actually the forte sedan facelift (6 speed auto version with paddle shifters, bluetooth connectivity, reverse camera, electric folding side mirrors, LED repeaters) is already here. Price for the facelifted version is add about 4k from existing forte price. I only remeber the 1.6SX and 2.0 SX price which is 85,800 and 97,800 respectively. Not sure if EX models will get the new stuff or not.
I know, which is why I added the word “officially” where necessary :)
hei Paul, when are you going to test drive the 6spd 2.0 Forte? I recall that you only test drove the 1.6 SX
the EX model gets different set of alloys and radio controls as well as the six speeder minus the paddle shifters. :D
you’re right and no reverse camera for the new EX model but with 16″ alloy , I’m using the 1st gen forte EX for more than a year now. No problem so far. Only complaint was the 15″ EX wheel cap getting noisy after few months, so I change to 17″ alloy, Just love it!
value for money Coupe …..
but not sure of resale value later
still cant believe by 115.6K .. how true is that..? I bet 120 at least..hehe
with bank loan its more than RM120k..lol
Anyway what is the reason for a rear view camera for? To snap photos or videos of cars trying to bang your behind!
stupid question to me..anyone here know wat the use of the reverse camera
For parking lah…you need to get out more.
Yes reverse camera is useful for parking. The camera has some guide “lines” to guide you to park more accurately/straight. Its a very good feature and worth the price u pay especially for the 1.6 SX priced @ 85,800. Its a steal (please dont lecture me about resale value, poor after sales service from naza, korean cars are fuel guzzers, etc – i’ve heard them all already).
Bingo. And it begs the question, how come a C-segment car from Korea can offer that much features for that price when it’s Rising Sun competitors are offering B-segment sedans with not even half the features at the same price? Both are assembled here so anyone care to explain why? Is the brand worth that extra money you’re paying for?
Quote : Is the brand worth that extra money you’re paying for?
Apparently, for many kiasu, it is. Got second hand value sum-more wor.
The reverse camera feature is the feature that i like the MOST! Peace of mind when parking. :)
I tested the Koup y’day and it was raining cat n dogs. Rear visibility is poor. I think they should hv included a rear wiper. But when I reversed the car, the view from the reverse camera was clear as normal day as camera was shielded from rain drops. Salesman told me it is even more impressive at night. I found it very useful.
Ehh..the road will be flooded with this again.For me,no matter how good it looks,if it’s just too common,it won’t feel as special.
hey… get a Lambo then.
nice looking car, the boot looks better that the Forte Saloon….wish to have one….salute korean industry!….
so i believe if the sentiments of the lancer owners are to be concern
all and i mean each and every single owner of the forteh
or cerato
or whatever that thing is call
must abandon kia from now on
how can they just give u the boring stuff (sedan version)
while they got the coupe or koup in store?
it seems not Koup for me
more or less now it becomes COUP – its a coup for getting the boring sedan to u
so now
everyone owning the forteh sedan version
go out and smash their cars
because thats the most appropriate
for u to show ur dissatisfaction
towards kia
why should i do that to my forte, i need 4 doors for ease of access. not everyone wants a KOUP la stupid
hahah.. ur comment only reflect how childish u r.. =P
wot nonsense is this?every car caters to a specific demographic. why else would Honda make 2 door civic for europe?u dont see civic owners bashing up their car do you? plus, i’d guess most forte owners, myself included, are fully aware of the forte/ cerrato koup existence BEFORE we bought the car.if we wanted the koup, we would have waited for it. trololtolol…..
WTF… was this directly translated to English using Google translate ?
im getting my 6 speed 1.6sx next week… now they trying to locate a unit for me.
Have driven one belong to my s’pore fellow.
Fair driving dynamic. Change direction very good. Door panel no like.
Not bad, in fact selling at 115.8k is cheap. Singapore now selling this forte koup at 90k singapore dollar, yet is 1.6l only. But, i found this car feature rather more than singapore spec, coz my negibour own one of this. Ride is very good, but 1.6l is underpower, where only 4 speed transmission, this is 6 speed. Good job!! but to improved services after sales.
I feel that they spent too much time on the exterior and neglected the interior, the part where you’ll be looking at all the time. Another thing is, this car would look much better with twin pipes on both sides, the bodykit already suggests it, why not do it?
alright…
sweet.. now waiting for the Kia Soul to arrive here..
i dont mind to sell my 2010 civic 1.8 for this Kia Koup..hahaha nice car..my singapore friend got one..
pls don’t.
Hell yes for the price and worthiness, hell no to the customer service and support. Civic after sales service is still one of the best so far.
Nah Toyota is still by far the best…. My old city’s worse point was honda service. Always take more than 5 hours to complete service some times have to leave car overnight just for a regular service…… Dad’s old camry takes only 3 hours for a regular service. But nevertheless, Naza is Kia’s biggest problem in malaysia. Suckish after sales service
wah so freaking expensive and I’m bored looking at it in Brunei!! Its as common as grass la WTF RM115K stupid those ‘upstairs’ will go to hell lah!
this is malaysia so, if you think it is expensive, stick to your cheap cars. work harder and try to buy a second hand one later on when you have saved enough. don’t make juvenile remarks without putting some thought to it.
hello? this is Malaysia. Bored then shut up. RM115k WTF? It’s cheap for us already. Atleast compared to other 2 doors.
im i the only one who have NEVER heard of a good story involving naza aftersales service and all that ????
Please correct me if im wrong but in Wiki it states that the 2litre four pot theta II uses either a 5 speed AT or MT…
the one with 6 cogs is only on the 2.4 and that is manual
so does it mean that we get a different tranny???
u trust wiki more than official word from supplier/dealer?
Check out the US Kia website for the 2011 Forte specification.
BTW, I’ve just collected (yesterday) my 6 speed Automatic Transmission 2.0L Theta II Face Lift 2011 Kia Forte.
So I guess I must be wrong & Wiki is right
Come to think of it,2 door saloon is quite an un-tap market here in malaysia. Being a Malaysian, I think that Malaysians prefer practicability instead of nice looking car. Not sure how this is going to affect the market though
we used to have our very onw Proton Putra , u remember? i thought that was a hot car too while I was still in primary school~~
bro,
i agree with you about the untapped market. sadly, proton does not have a proper coupe anymore. the putra is missed. lots of fake coupes around though… hatchbacks which claim that they are coupe.
if i were kia, i’ll strike the killer blow and bring in the 1.6 koup as well to ensure that the coupe market is mine from the 1.6L to the 2.0L.
is the koup also assembled here like the forte sedan ??
Should be same as forte sedan where the doors get assembled. Rest of car is CBU from korea.
This car is already common in Brunei. Im already bored looking at it. No “wow!” no more as it got out new. Some people even painted their car matte black, which make it more bland.. =.=”
pls don’t
Just booked a koup last week with naza glenmarie. Been seeing a lot of ’em in Singapore, looks awesome in white and racing red. There’s a special edition green in sg, not sure if it’ll come to Malaysia.
Also in sg, the interior they have red motives on the dash and sides. Hopefully they’ll have it in MY too.
Anyway it’s it’s packed with great features and a sexy look, so you really can’t ask for more at the price it’s going.
Why only have two door????can i add 2 more door?Since there is seat at the back.
bodo ke ape? nak pintu lebih beli forte biasa la
agreed!!!
WTF? foldable side mirror as on of the new features? is that a “new” tech? omg omg
In Malaysia it is.
Good job!
nice car with nice price!
Good looking car but rubbish performance. Paper specs dont translate to real life figured.
Civic 2.0 anytime for me.
Besides, the interior looks so cheap and yucky… Typical korean design on the interior.
Alot of ppl think by driving this car they gonna get alot of respect, but remember nobody gives a rats butt about a Kia.
exterior is ok but agreed with u abt the interior. doesnt make u feel like u r driving a coupe..esp the UGLY looking STeering..how on earth can someone commented that the design is better than civic steering?? let’s be honest to ourselves…thumbs up for honesty…
Dont even care replying to this freak… He is anti Korean all the way. Tried to prove it to him the last round when the the new Avante was on the topic in this website. Arrogant and bias
Interior wise it’s very impressive, with the red lights lighting up. But then I never take Kia owners seriously.
You need to get into your Civic and enjoy yourself. The Koup is not for you.
yea…go enjoy the malacca made civic with its orchestra of music, steering pump tht fails while cornering, 80’s interior, rubbish handling….advantage of civic from other C segments?….nothing…literally nothing….
in fact feel sad for all H City owners….less than 2 yrs old car already had the engine molested to replace the loose motion arm spring in a worldwide recall….value of a car that had the engine molested sure gonna suck…prfh,,
Quote: Alot of ppl think by driving this car they gonna get alot of respect, but remember nobody gives a rats butt about a …
You are sooooo right.
In fact, the BMW / Merc / Audi / Gof GTi owners really do think that you Civic drivers are just a bunch of uncultured nouveau riche show offs, who think that by driving a Civic, they have made it in this world & now deserve the respect.
Rubbish perfomance? Man, WTF is wrong with you Maserati? Always nothing but praise for Japs, but loads of cursings for the Koreans!! The fact that you’re not EVEN a KOREAN car owner speaks for it loudly. Mind you, i’m an MC Accent owner, and i can say that it’s still in good condition even after a year’s of hard driving.
Just because you’re a rich dude who’s got Mercs in his house as well as a City, doesn’t mean you can go out and start whacking people like us just because we have Hyundais and Kias. We buy cars based on personal preference, not a damn silly badge.
Oh, and one more thing, don’t bother being a douchebag rich troll here, ’cause everyone’s ready to shoot you down for your crap comments!!
So, stop
Its look beutiful but aware the sparepart and after sales service its will make brother joe headache and also the prices very expensive and got to wait from korea.
Irresistible until you have to replace all the AP King badges
hey guys, dont waste your hard earned money on this car…go get the new Kia Optima K5, 2 litre which is vastly superior design and specs…saw it in seoul last december and it is already launched in Singapore for 120K SGD…
Not everyone want a 4 doors car.
its RM120k here hellooooooo not SGD.
About time. Now bring in the 5-door Forte, Soul, Optima and Catenza!
if u guys make some effort to google
the car’s fuel consumption is really really bad
please don’t say something because you have found it on the net, i can tell you that the 1.6 is very good in fuel economy. i drove a kia cee’d from london to paris before. i easily achieve 450 miles on a tank of fuel. so if u never try before, don’t comment.
you can’t expect a koup to be fuel efficient ey? the one u r referring to is the 2.0 or the 2.4? Cause most of them bought it with the 2.4 engine.
I happen to own a Forte, my Forte betters my wife’s City’s fuel consumption driven in town. about 500km for RM 80 of petrol.
Wow that’s bad. My 2.0 accord covers the same km with that amount of petrol.
wow, my moms 07 civic 2.0 rm70 of ron95 only does 360km
Accord 2.0 diesel?
Kindly make it a clear statement..i guess your (Zad) figure coming from highway cruising right?..but bro beemer talking about town driving
check it out.. FC for FORTE 1.6l >>>
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/71713_445957201157_751626157_5429733_5830284_n.jpg
Booked without hesitation :)
Any performance difference between the sedan and coup?
Any performance difference between sedan and coup?
Quite different, the coupe has a stiffer chasis and takes corners with less body roll… however on the engine front both cars are the same, no difference in acceleration and top speed
plus the Koup sits lower than the sedan with thicker roll bars on a wider stance. Cornering should be interesting on the Koup. Power should be slightly better since it has a marginally better power to weight ratio to d sedan.
saw 1 yesterday in Putrajaya.. kia cerato..
Kia is a real good deal when it comes to car, never be vogue and can never go wrong with innovative one.
Kia Forte Koup is a compact car, which has been introduced with a reasonable pricing.
The new 2011 Kia Forte Koup looks stylish involving great designed traits, and in red color exterior its very impressive.
all kia forte in Malaysia(incl 1.6EX, 1.6SX, 2.0) has sunroof?