Kia hits stride with Forte, Forte Koup

Last August Kia Motors Corp. replaced the compact car Cerato with the Forte.

Unlike the Cerato, which had a relatively small impact on the compact car market dominated by Hyundai Motor Co.`s Avante, the Forte became a big hit in terms of both domestic sales and exports.

With more than 114,000 units exported during the first 10 months of the year, the Forte is the country`s third-most exported vehicle. In the domestic market, the car is currently the seventh-best seller for the January-to-October period with 43,072 units sold domestically.

In the United States, the Forte was named car of the month in August by the National Automobile Dealers Association and received high praise from industry organizations and publications in numerous overseas markets.

The Forte was also among the 15 vehicles that J.D. Power and Associates considered to be fuelling the auto industry recovery in the United States.



Other vehicles on the list include Kia`s crossover utility vehicle Soul and Hyundai Motor Co.`s Accent and Genesis. U.S. models on the list included the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro.

In June, Kia updated the hit compact car. The 2010 Forte lineup saw the addition of the trim with the 2-liter engine promised upon the vehicle`s launch more than a year earlier.

With a maximum power output of 156 brake horsepower, the 2-liter engine used in the newest trim boasts the largest power output of any engine used in a domestic four-door compact car.

In addition to introducing the long-promised 2-liter engine, Kia upgraded the interior with silver metallic trimmings, and chrome plating around the vehicle`s control buttons.

The suspension and steering systems have been fine-tuned to offer passengers increased comfort, sound-absorbing materials have been added to the floor and other parts attached to reduce the amount of noise that reaches the cabin.

In addition, the 2010 Forte is the first domestic vehicle in its class fitted with a rearview mirror that has a built-in screen, through which the view seen through the camera at the rear of the vehicle.

Also in June, the company introduced the Forte Koup, a two-door coupe that shares the platform with the Forte sedan.

The Forte Kop is available with either a 2-liter or a 1.6-liter gasoline engine. The larger of the two engines generates a maximum of 158-brake horsepower, while the 1.6-liter engine`s power output tops out at 124-brake horsepower.

With the four-speed automatic transmission, the 2-liter engine manages 12.9 kilometers per liter of fuel, and 14.3 kilometers per liter with five-speed manual transmission, giving the car the second-highest fuel economy rating.

The smaller engine manages 15 and 16.1 kilometers per liter, respectively, with four-speed automatic and five-speed manual transmission.

The vehicle also comes with a host of safety features including vehicle dynamic control, driver and passenger airbags, active headrest and auto-light control as standard features.

(cheesuk@heraldm.com)





By Choi He-suk