It may be a groaner, but it’s oh so true. Kia’s replacement for its aging Spectra is a cleanly-styled, classy little sedan that looks more Civic than, say, Optima. Already available in Korea and coming to the US this summer, the Forte is about an inch longer and an inch and a half wider than the the Spectra it replaces. According to Automotive News [sub], base engine is a two liter four-pot, making 156 hp and 144 twisties of torque and mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Upgrade to the SX trim level, and you get a 2.4 liter engine with 173 hp and 168 lb·ft, and a standard six-speed manual standard or five-speed slushbox. Which probably has visions of Forte Coupe hoonage dancing through your head. Well you can just forget it.
Kia will not be selling the tasty Koupe in the US. Because they clearly hate our way of life. And because at 25/34 mpg from the four-speed slushbox and 26/36 from the five-cog auto, efficiency (not fun) is going to be a primary selling point. Manual tranny efficiency has not yet been estimated. Neither has price point but the standard equipment list looks distinctly un-Kia like. As in blue teeth and serial buses abound. Let’s just hope that the pricing stays reasonable. Oh, and that Kia recovers their corporate sanity soon enough to bring the damn Coupe already.
Subacivic
Hoo dang! Gimme gimme! If they can really get those mpg numbers out of this sharp little car, I’m not going to have to wait for the Chevy Cruze to come out (if it ever does). I can’t wait to hear the price numbers, if it’s Kia-cheap it’s going to be high on the list.
Now, if they can just work out the problem of getting the kim-chee notes out of their “new car” smell….
During my first year at university, my buddy got a Integra GS-R. I thought that thing was the heat. If that 173hp Kia is as spunky for decent coin, why buy a Cobalt?
Why is it every time I see a new product come from KIA/Hyundai I cannot help but to think…
This is exactly what GM needs
As in blue teeth and serial buses abound
The friggin’ Rondo has these standard. I think every Kia does, excepting possibly the Rio.
Sing it with me: For-te-5, For-te-5, For-te-5…
Definitely a nice-looking car, but the interior looks like the one on this generation’s Cobalt.
For some reason I really like the sheetmetal. That’s how you do flame surfacing, Mr. Bangle!
Looks good; conservatively styled, cheap and with a stick.
Sajeev Mehta…I see what you mean about the flame surfacing. I thought something similar when I first saw a video of the VW roadster (Why dosen’t the Z4 look more like this?).
If the Forte looks like the Civic, then the Buick LaCrosse lookes like a Maserati Quattroporte. (As a Civic owner, I’m a bit touchy here.)
That said, from a business POV, Kia/Hyundia have a superbly placed lineup of vehicles. There does not exist a single Kia or Hyundia that does not perfectly suit its market niche at an unbeatable value.
I agree wholeheartedly with turbobeetle.
“Kia plays with your Ex-Spectra-tions”
And we’re having good vi-bra-tions.
I thought it was a new TSX…
Guess not!
Whoa, whoa, whoa! There is an important question that must be answered first.
What will the proper pronunciation of this car’s name be?
The grammatically proper “Fohrt”
Or the dumbed down “Fawr-tey”
This, and only this, is what I will use to base my opinion of the vehicle in question.
I keep thinking Kia was owned by Ford at one time. This car looks like what the Ford Focus should have looked like.
I’m pretty sure if they make it simple to customize and allow the aftermarket to make something out of this platform, the young ones will buy it up.
I keep thinking Kia was owned by Ford at one time.
Kia did build two shitty subcompacts for Ford. They built one for GM.
Now Ford builds their own, and GM is still outsourcing it’s undesirable cars to a Korean lowest-cost-producer. Telling, ain’t it?
The grammatically proper “Fohrt”
It actually would be For-tay if Kia’s spelling is Forté.
Put leather and a moon roof on it for under 20K Canadian and I will take 2.
Not bad looking, but having experienced Hyundai/Kia handling and the stink of their interiors. I won’t be holding my breath.
Sutures, there was never any question in my mind that this was to be the for-tay, but maybe I’ve read too much sheet music. However, some digging around has shown there to be debate over the proper pronunciation. I’ll cast my lot with the for-tay people, it has a more dynamic sound.
Finally, we lower classes can have our own microcosm of the Porshuh vs. Porsh debate.
easily one of the most interesting small cars produced recently – and it shames japan that they cannot seem to get the ‘formula’ and price right of late. The big 2.8 aren’t even in the same century.
the smart styling is all Peter Schreyer (ex. VW, Audi, VAG) – the interior to me looks like a mix of new KIA Ceed and Audi
as of yet i think only the Korean, Australian and UK market have this car with US due later this year
as far as i know Korean only get the 1.6 (due to tax laws?) but going on the first Australian road tests it shouldn’t be all that fun to drive given the power deficit
The Australian 2.0 manual only does 0-100 in 9.5 secs. The 1999 spec. 4-spd auto does it a second later.
The Americans will get a treat with the choice of a 6 spd manual or auto 2.4 which would be the ultimate model (assuming they don’t do a turbo or AWD ala WRX).
The coupe is already on the way with some rumours of a sportback or even wagon later.
I can’t help but think that a ‘Series 2’ model with the KIA Ceed 1.6 CRDi turbo diesel would be the most entertaining model with 250Nm torque.
Going by pricing the top of the line manual model is about the same price as a Japanese lower to mid spec hatch/small sedan. The price of a low to mid spec. sedan is the same as a low spec. Japanese 1.5 litre mini car!
Plus you get 5 yrs vs. a typical 3 yrs warranty.
I am prejudiced against Korean cars like anyone (I own two RWD sedans, one Japanese, one of the big 2.8) however one has to admit they are selling more cars and making a healthy profit in this economy and this Forte is proof why.
If you buy one now you can see the relative decline of the Japanese car industry before your warranty runs out!
People used to say watch out for the wily yellow man who seeks to conquer you economically rather than with bullets. They were talking about the Japanese in a xenophobic manner.
No one would have guessed it would be the Koreans next! And the Chinese have not come onto the scene yet…
i really, really like this. i nice cleanly styled car that is attractive and not over done (Mazda3 i’m looking at you)
here’s a picture of your new Mazda 3
enjoy:
http://image.motortrend.com/f/auto_shows/coverage/chicago/14719352+w+soriginal/112_0902_03z+2010_mazda3_5_door+side_view.jpg
one thing i will say is that i realise this Cerato is a mash of existing design cues… but one cannot say that the ‘mash’ is not an interesting design overall
conservative? yes
derivative? yes
attractive? i’d say yes
What “shitty subcompact” did Kia build for GM ?
Daewoo built the Pontiac LeMans for them.From an old Opel design. Was there another “ss”? Ford’s were Festiva and Aspire. I still see some of these running around L.A.
Tony JZX: every time I see a picture of the new Mazda3 the better the Protege looks……Total chaos in sheet metal. Makes my eyes bleed.
More Honda than current Buicky Accord
to me it doesn’t look like any current small Honda… maybe the larger Accords… especially the old Accord Euro… you know why?
guess who designed the old Honda Accord Euro?
The same guy who designed this thing.
There is a white Forte parked on my street now. It’s a quite nice-looking little sedan. It’s the first time in many years I’ve seen a car in the flesh before reading about it first. I must be slipping.