Video: Kia Forte’s Design Explained by Peter Schreyer

Everyone has their own opinion on the Forte’s design but let's hear what the man behind the subcompact sedan’s styling, Kia’s Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, has to say about the Korean carmaker’s latest creation. Schreyer moved to Kia in 2006 after working for more than a decade at Audi and VW. The German designer is best known for his work in Audi and chiefly for establishing the Bauhaus-inspired styling which is still evident in Audi’s line-up. Among the cars he is credited with are the previous generation Audi TT and the Volkswagen Concept-R roadster. Watch the video after the jump and tell us what you think. -Continued

Detroit Freep's Mark Phelan Slams the 2010 Kia Forte - Thinks It's a Mid-Size Sedan with "Forgettable Styling"

Not to generalize, but can't say that I like reading car test drives on newspapers or their respective websites for the simple fact that I often find myself looking at an un-opinionated shortened press release or even worse, a review written by someone that has little idea of what he or she is talking about. I don't know Mark Phelan personally nor am I aware of his automotive background, but in my opinion, his latest review on the 2010 Kia Forte sedan at the Detroit Free Press fits in the second group.

I could just mention the fact that he makes a mega blunder by calling the Kia Forte a mid-size sedan, and leave it that, but, what the heck, let's see what else he wrote.

If you've been in this biz for a while, you can feel the negative vibe right from the beginning. And truly enough, Phelan picks up his shovel and beats the crap out the Korean sedan straight up from the title "Kia's Forte Falls Short on Comfort, Styling" and continues in the opening sentence "That's a humble vehicle, my friend said" - as if anyone cares what "Kathleen" thinks about the car's styling...

But it gets worse as he then completely messes it up by saying that it's an "underpowered mid-size sedan with a drab interior" (okay, everyone is entitle to their own opinion when it comes to styling) that is "no match for leading midsize models like the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry"

Well, sorry to be the ones to break it to you Mr Phelan, but the Forte is actually a compact sedan that competes with smaller cars like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla and NOT their larger siblings.

Having said that, there's no need to comment on Phelan's ramblings on the "rather faint-hearted 156-horsepower 2.0-liter four-pot", which by the way, is more powerful than the more expensive entry-level 140HP Civic and 132HP Corolla sedans, or that the boot is smaller in capacity than the Rolls-Royce Phantom Camry, Malibu and Accord.

I'd also slightly disagree on the "forgettable exterior styling" (as if the Camry and Malibu are something to remember...) but again, beauty or the lack of it is to the eye of the beholder.

Also, since I have never driven the Forte, can't say anything about Phelan's comments on the vehicle's quality (large gaps, uneven fit etc), poor Bluetooth system or whatever else he finds negative, and there are plenty of them according to Phelan. Those of you that have sat behind the wheel of the Forte sedan, especially ones with a professional / journalist background, may have your say below.

And just for the record before someone jumps into conclusions, we have no affiliation with Kia (or with any other automaker for that matter), the ads on Auto Cars 2011 are sourced from Google's Adsense and we couldn't care less about the Forte's market performance in the U.S. or elsewhere.

Check out Phelan's complete review on the 2010 Forte at the Detroit Free Press here and have your say in the comment section below.

- John

Source: Freep

China-Made Kia Forte Debuts at Shanghai Show

Korea's Kia Motors is extending its Chinese portfolio with the introduction of the locally-built Forte sedan (known in many markets as the new Cerato) as well as the Korea-produced new Sorento Crossover that made its world premiere earlier this month at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show. The vital for Kia's future success in China, Forte sedan, will be produced at its joint venture Donfeng Yueda Kia (DYK) plant in the Jiangsu province and it will be sold alongside the current generation model, called the Cerato.

The Korean automaker said that it also plans to introduce to the market the Forte Koup, which was unveiled last week at the New York Motor Show and is scheduled to go on sale globally in late 2009.

For the Chinese market, the four-door Forte sedan will be offered with a choice of a 2.0-litre gasoline and a locally produced 1.6-litre gasoline engine, with manual or automatic transmissions, in a selection of 10 exterior and two interior colors.

As for the new Sorento SUV / Crossover, Chinese buyers will be able to choose from two engines, a Theta II 2.4-liter gasoline with 4WD and 6-speed automatic transmission and a R 2.2-liter diesel also with 4WD and 6-speed automatic transmission.

Even though it is expected that the new Chinese car market will slow down to single digits in 2009, Kia said that its sale target for the year is over 195,000 units, or 30 percent more than 2008 when it achieved sales of 151,000 vehicles.

U.S. Spec 2010 Kia Forte Sedan Introduced in Chicago: 37 High-Res Photos

Following its introduction in the Korean market last August, Kia unveiled the U.S. spec Forte at the at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show. Due to go on sale in the States in late spring or early summer of 2009, the Forte sedan will replace the (very) forgettable Spectra in Kia's North American lineup. Available in three trim levels, the Forte LX and EX are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 156HP and 144 pound-feet of torque, while the range-topping SX features an upgraded 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine delivering an output of 173HP.

The Forte LX and EX 2.0 are offered with two transmission options, a standard five-speed manual transmission or an optional electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. The more powerful SX 2.4 comes with a standard six-speed manual transmission and an optional five-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic.

While pricing and detailed information on the standard equipment will be announced closer to the launch date, Kia said that all Forte sedans will come with a standard four speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system outfitted with SIRIUS Satellite Radio capabilities with three months complimentary service, an auxiliary audio input jack and USB port for connecting personal MP3 players and Bluetooth connectivity. The EX and SX packages also add a standard six speaker surround audio system and steering wheel controls.

In terms of safety features, Kia has equipped all Forte sedans with two-stage airbags, front seat-mounted and side curtain airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with an antilock brake system (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC) and traction control (TCS), and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) as standard.