Filed under: Economy, Sedans/Saloons, Kia
Official Kia Forte brochure leaked
by Jonathon Ramsey on Aug 25th 2008 at 11:30AM 
Click above for high-res gallery of the Kia Forte
The Kia Forte has been caught out again, this time in more press photos and the official Korean-market brochure. The 2009 Spectra replacement is a looker... even if it borrows some of those looks from other vehicles. Regardless, those shapely front fenders, strong shoulder line that terminates into the A-pillar and concave space right above the sills are definitely elements not usually found in the economy car class. The car will probably come to the U.S. with a slight price bump over the $13,000 Spectra, but there'll be more power, space, and fuel economy to go with it. Check out the gallery of hi-res photos below, and if you read Korean and see anything newsworthy in the brochure feel free to let us know in the comments.
Gallery: 2009 Kia Forte Brochure
[Source: Carscoop]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
wagonphile 11:36AM (8/25/2008)
Very nice looking small sedan. It has a Honda look about it, but easily outclasses the Civic. If I were considering a Honda, Corolla, or Sentra, Hyundai would have made my decision easy with the Forte.
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Bob-omb 2:29PM (8/25/2008)
Kia, not Hyundai. But Hyundai's Elantra wagon is gonna be on the same platform as this. I can't wait for either one.
James Sonne 6:32PM (8/25/2008)
Kia and Hyundai are divisions of the same company, so it's all good.
icu812ru469 11:40AM (8/25/2008)
Wait, is this called the Forte or Farte? Push button start, so much hype for lazy people with no opposeable thumbs...
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MikeofLA 11:49AM (8/25/2008)
The best thing about the push start is the ability to have keyless ignition. This is truly a "lazy" option, but one that once you've had, you will love.
Walk up to the car, pull the handle, get in, push the button... no searching for keys, no buttons to push, just get in and go. You feel like the car recognizes you. :D
Torrent 11:52AM (8/25/2008)
Well you press the "POWER' button on your computer. What? You want a key for that too?
MasterCKO 1:20PM (8/25/2008)
one of the stupider comments ever. The difference in energy expended is negligible (seriously, how do you call pushing a button vs turning a key 'lazy'?), while the convenience is significantly higher.
Screw you, technological advancements!
icu812ru469 2:11PM (8/25/2008)
I've tried the ES350 with push start... you can have the same thing of entering the car without having to have a "push button." Take the LS430 for example, SmartAccess gave you ability to enter the car without a key, but you turned a lever, instead of pressing a button. And also, I would like to have a key to start up my PC, for security reasons, so no one can just press a button and use my computer. Also, there is no power savings you bunch of chicken claw land crawlers...
Torrent 2:43PM (8/25/2008)
"I would like to have a key to start up my PC, for security reasons, so no one can just press a button and use my computer"
uh that's why you have a password...
Shuuya 3:53PM (8/25/2008)
heh. icu812ru469 has a key fetish.
MachinaDC5 11:43AM (8/25/2008)
Nice color and wheel options. Decent interior choices. And it doesn't look to bad, really. A few angles are edgier than they need to be, but overall it isn't bad. In fact, it's good. Looks like a good car for the money. Although I admit to not being familiar with Kia's reliability. Assuming it's at least as reliable as its American competition it seems to be a great little car.
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MasterCKO 12:37PM (8/25/2008)
I have exactly the same comments about it. The car is surprisingly attractive. Not the most attractive that I've seen in the segment, but I definitely wouldn't mind driving it.
It kinda reminds me of the new Honda design language, but executed much better.
Seoultrain 11:44AM (8/25/2008)
Fantastic compact car on paper. On the road is probably a different story, but maybe they'll surprise everyone.
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John Ward 11:45AM (8/25/2008)
It's much better looking than the Elantra. This is probably the best looking Kia yet. It has elements of styling borrowed from Honda/Acura and BMW. The Theta engine should be quite an improvement in the smaller size platform over the current Beta engine. It probably won't have all the premium features shown in the brochure when it comes to the US, but in the $13-15k range I think this car will be a big hit.
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bilbo baggins 2:28PM (8/25/2008)
I totally agree. Best looking Kia yet. Hopefully it drives and lives as well as it looks ! And also hope the price tag says "kia" and not high dollar honda or toyota !
jsjs 12:39PM (8/25/2008)
I'd say that the design is pretty reminiscent of Audi w/ flame-surfacing that is less controversial than what Bangle did with BMWs.
Not a great design, but definitely better than most compacts on the market today (the weakest point is the dash).
P.V. 11:47AM (8/25/2008)
I love the front and side profile. I think the rear (Elantra-ish tail-lights) takes away from the sharpness of the car.
Not a fan of the interior, but then again, I'm not particularly a fan of all-black interiors.
Overall, very good! Hopefully this will have a better reputation for reliability than its predecessors (Sephia, etc. (not necessarily 2nd-gen Spectra))...
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Avinash machado 11:51AM (8/25/2008)
The Chevy Cruze better watch out.
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Gstill 12:25PM (8/25/2008)
Especially considering the fact that this car will beat the Cruze to the American market.
ChopperDave 11:57AM (8/25/2008)
This is what the Focus should have looked like.
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