Kia Forte

I wasn't planning on posting this but well, I was just trying to catch up on my favorite comedic series How I Met Your Mother on internet stream, but this shitty internet is too damn slow to load the whole video. So while waiting, I happened to read a test drive review on one of the hottest Kia on the road today, the Kia Forte.

My source is actually from Paultan.org which you can get ALMOST all of today's latest automotive news. However, due to how lengthy the test drive review was I decided to just cut it short here and go straight to the plus points and the not so satisfying part of the car.

To begin with, like all Kias in Malaysia, the car will be distributed by Naza Kia Sdn Bhd hence you could probably expect to have the Naza badge on the car instead of Kia. One thing to be noted about the Forte is that it is a C-Segment car (Civic, Altis, Lancer, Slyphy) and it has been priced here at the B-Segment cars (City, Vios).

Kia Forte 1.6 EX – RM75,800
Kia Forte 1.6 SX – RM81,800
Kia Forte 2.0 SX – RM93,800

Now, looking at the prices there, the range topping 2.0 SX comes in at RM94k and if you don't already know, the new facelifted Vios will be launching soon with a slight price hike and what has been confirmed is that the Vios 1.5 TRD Sportivo will be coming in at RM93k. So in comparison, you do actually need to pay an extra 1k to get a C-segment with 2.0 liter engine car which looks way better as well?

The man behind the Kia's revolutionary design is Peter Schreyer, the German who has previously worked with Audi which makes no surprises that the design of the car is just sportingly sleek and stunningly simplish to look at. Once I was tailgated by a new white Forte in town and I have to say having a look at the real thing is even more amazing.

Aside from its looks, the performance of the Forte is, well, I hate to say this but it seems it is a little bit disappointing to say the least. The 1.6 liter engine is adequate for daily use but it doesn't really leave much to be desired where 1.6l Gamma engine lacks the ohm or acceleration when you actually need it. The engine itself isn't all that great on highways and long distance cruising as well.


In any case, I'd have to remind you that the review and comparisons are made in the C-Segment range. Then again, you could probably say that this car isn't one of the best in the C-Segment range however if you take the price into consideration, this car is actually not that bad. For me, I believe this car would actually be better than the B-Segment cars and it definitely looksbetter than the City or the Vios. So if you ask me, I would definitely recommend the Forte :)

Reference:
http://paultan.org/2010/02/27/kia-forte-1-6-test-drive-review/