The Kia K3, or the next-generation Kia Forte to us, was officially shown last month sporting an Optima K5-style face and more organic styling. Now, spyshots from China show a K3 with slightly altered styling to suit the Chinese market.
The most obvious change from the K3 we’ve seen before this is the addition of vertical chrome slats to the car’s tiger nose, in place of a honeycomb grille. This isn’t something new for Kia – its flagship RWD K9 limo sports the same grille.
Changes are more substantial at the back. The Chinese-market K3 has a unique tail lamp cluster design, and there’s a chrome bar linking both tail lamps. The bar “eats into the lights” and carries the Kia logo. The bumper appears to be identical to the Korean/international version. The set of pics are completed by an image of three different wheel designs, likely to be 15, 16 and 17-inch items for different trim levels.
We also get a first glimpse at the K3’s dashboard, which is more stylish that the current car’s. The button-rich steering (as seen here) follows the design of the K5’s wheel, but the general layout borrows more from the Sportage than the Optima.
Click here to see the officially released K3 pics.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments generally express excitement and positive anticipation for the new Kia K3, praising the revamped dashboard, interior design, and overall look compared to older models. Many appreciate the modern, sleeker interior, and some highlight the Chinese version's grille design, contrasting it with the international version. Several users criticize the new front grille, viewing it as unattractive or out of place, and prefer the current or previous models’ look. Concerns about resale value are common, with some dismissing it as irrelevant, while others focus on cost and value in comparison to competitors like Honda and Toyota. Overall, the comments reflect a mix of enthusiasm for the new design and skepticism about specific styling choices, especially the grille, amid high interest in the model’s features and appearance.