The very first detailed shots of the production-ready Kia Forte 4-door sedan are out and it looks like that the appearance of the much-anticipated compact sedan is going to be close to the Kia KOUP concept.
The highly acclaimed KOUP concept previewed the design direction Kia cars will take in the near future and the Forte clearly follows that direction.
The Forte sedan will be the first production model to carry Kia’s new corporate look and will feature sportier design overall.
It will include more distinctive design elements such as striking side character lines and a subtly designed grille. The H-shapped grille is set to become a Kia trademark in the future.
2009 Kia Forte engine range
Kia will initially introduce the Forte with two fuel efficient gasoline engines. First available, will be the brand new 1.6L four cylinder rated at 124hp. The other, a more powerfull 2.0L engine, will be available soon after the official launch.
This new model will replace the Spectra, or as it’s called on other markets, the Cerato and is expected to enter the U.S. market by mid-2009. A two door variant, reportedly dubbed the Forte Coupe, will follow later in the year.
Expect more info and plenty of closer images on August 21. when Kia Motors officially pulls the wraps off it’s new Forte sedan (official Korean debut). [Source: Clubforte]
2010 Kia Forte sedan pictures
Stay tuned for more Kia Forte news!
I am really impressed. I would rather have this than a Civic. When are you bringing this here Kia??? 5 lug rims? Will this have the Beta II?
Wow! I direct Lancer competitor. this is what I call sporty. Its a beauty man. doesnt remind of of any car now once fully revealed. as usual, I’m lost for words. Now, I cant wait to see the interior.
How big is this thing, it’s very hard to tell from the photographs. It look’s reasonably big, but who knows.
Chance says, he’d rather have this car rather then a Civic and K-Sport says it’s a Lancer Competitor?? which i both cases makes it a smallish vehicle.
Patrick may be able to help me out here, as he know’s Australian cars. Is it as big as a Holden Commodore or a Ford Falcon?? or for you others here, maybe a 5 or 7 series BMW, or a lot smaller.
Ok, I’m with you now, small to medium, about Mazda3 size, or as has been said, Honda Civic or Mitsubishi Lancer.
its a C-segment car. IN the civic, lancer, corolla, spectra class.
Great looking car. It looks like it shares same base as the american Hyundai Avante HD (Elantra)?!?
Wow, I am impressed as well, and, as some of you already know, I own a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS. From looking at pics of this ’09 Kia Forte, I can tell you that it looks like it’s within inches of my Lancer’s size in most dimension areas. Great looking rig, I would’ve traded our ’01 Kia Sportage 4X4 in for one of these had it been there last year. Peter Schreyer has made his presence known with this baby!
Yes Bandit- It shares a platform with the Hyundai Elantra.
the lights [rear] remind me of some other car’s lights but I cant recall which one.
Im impressed. its much better looking than i thought it’d be. Great that they’re adding a 1.6L to market as well. will the US get that smaller engine as an option???
Now this car looks reaaally sharp- at least in these pics!! If Kia wants to make significant in-roads into the North American market – just put a few tech toys in a quality interior and target two differing markets segments.For the vast majority, offer a small 4 cylinder which sips fuel and competes directly with the Civic in fuel economy- but also offer a few with the turbo 4 cylinder talked about in the Koup concept for the performance enthusiast to compete directly with the Civic Si ! Man- I`m betting the car would really catch on. Any thoughts ?
the 1.6L in the Rio is the only engine of that size in the US by Kia/Hyundai. not to mention OUR 1.6L has 106HP – not 125 or whatever this one’s got. I, too, am curious of the info on this car based on the cee’d. but god i hope so. Never seen a cee’d in person but i hear great things…
does anyone think it will have paddle shifters? lancer has those
This looks great. I can’t wait to see it in person.
If the 1.6L makes near 130hp they might as well offer it as the base engine here in the US. It probably would have the best gas mileage in its class.
I think the Forte’s 1.6 liter engine is similar to the 1.6 liter CVVT engine found in the euro market Kia cee’d hatchback.
yes, thats what himi said AG4.
Anyway, does anyone think the 2.0L will get paddle shifters? like Mitsu lancer?
you mean honda civic. yes of course it will be cheaper! 🙂
It will be cheaper and BETTER.
If Hyundai and Kia want to differentiate themselves, they must put their vehicles on their own platform. Kia built the Sorento’s platform from the ground up, and now thy are just throwing it away. Although, the Sorento never did share its platform.
It sure does look similar at the first glance, but a closer look reveals much nicer front fascia on Kia Forte. Only the front of Toyota reminds me on Forte, the side and rear of the car looks awfully plain and un-attractive.
The back of Forte looks much better in my honest opinion.
Well, it looks a bit like forte in the front but the forte looks much better and agressive. If one would look at allion at first glance know would say its made to compete with lancer or civic. I never like any of toyota’s deigns. the 1.6 cerato sells the better than the 2.0 here in UAE
—If one would look at allion at first glance know would say its made to compete with lancer or civic —
correction: one would look at allion at first glance NO ONE would say its made to compete with lancer or civic
hmmm… to be very honest…
the front of allion and the forte look almost identical…except for certain minor details.
The body and the side panel looks quite similar too. The way the side panels are pieced together look almost copied entirely from allion.
Guess the kia desigers cannot copy the whole thing from allion, and had to modify the design on the rear.
even if it is a copy, there’s something that makes the Forte look more agressive.
I developed an interest in KIA a few months ago when I drove a 2008 Optima as a loaner car for about 10 days while my Civic coupe was in the body shop. I had no idea that KIA made such nice cars! They certainly seem to keep that a secret! I’ve been driving Civics for over 30 years and I’ll certainly consider a KIA when it’s time to purchase my next car! I hope their gas mileage will be right up there with my Civic, however! Otherwise, forget it.
Hi there! This is a very nice welcoming post from a Honda owner!:) Welcome to the KIA-WORLD.
You sure did notice, what other owners did before and that’s the proggress Kia has been making lately. You said you drove the Optima and the Optima is even not considered to be the new-age Kia.
I hope your interest in Kias stays here, as the company is preping some really cool new models, which will all be able to compete against Hondas and Toyotas in every area you choose.
Hi Himi,
My interest in KIA continues to grow. I look forward to seeing their “new offerings” in the near future and will continue to check their website for current news. You all sound like a friendly group of folks!
Thanks cicvicguy! Where do you come from, btw? US?
I which markets does the civic coupe sell?
Himi and Boris,
I’m from Abingdon, Maryland about 20 miles north of Baltimore. (And I work right next door to a Kia Dealership!!)
Civicguy (Ed)
This wont have the Beta II anymore, its supposed to have a 2.0 with more power than the spectra, so im 99% sure this will have the all New 2.0 Theta II engine that makes 160hp
I hope it does. The beta II is not really competitive anymore.
Forte aka Cerato 1.6 litre Petrol Engine + a CNG option for Singapore.
A Japanese beater…Kill the Corolla, Civic, Lancer, Mazda3, Sunny, Latio etc.
Will Top The Chart in Singapore Sales with C & C competitive pricing.
it is really very nice
how can i buy this car ????????
i want some exporter to sell me 100 car
It will be available in your country soon. It will soon be available worldwide as the new Cerato. You can get it if you aren’t in Europe. In Europe, they only have the cee’d.
hope the coupe will bring a much stronger stand in the crowd. Plus why do most still have this feeling that Korean made aren’t so much worth it? Anybody care to explain?
I’m a kia service technician, and I found out today the 2.0 will have 164hp and the Forte SX will have a 2.4L, 6 speeds, 174hp. I can’t wait to see them at our dealership in march.
Torque is 148 lb-ft. Why come here to b!tch about your stupid petty problems? Your name shows that you ost likely drive a WRX STI, which will definitely not roll so much in a corner. Have you driven the civic? Did you drive the Forte with the spor-tuned suspension? Don’t know? Well then you can’t make a stereotype.
i actually really like this car ha, never really liked
kia but i could go for that ha. reminds my of my car a
bit [[scion tc]]
I actually bought this car and I love it. Of course the no NAv is a problem but I receive Nav from my cell phone provider. strange enough I have heard people tell me it looks like a Honda Civic and also a BMW shape. I seen it and decided i wanted it. What “sold me” was the 10.5:1 compression ratio in a 4 cyl….. It’s an awesome car all around