Kia has unveiled its new compact K3 (Forte) which will cement its place in South Korea’s small sedan market where parent Hyundai’s Avante and Renault Samsung’s SM3 have been the dominant players.
The company is targeting annual domestic sales of 55,000 units according to vice president Lee Hyoung-keun. Kia has spent some KRW300bn (US$268m) developing the latest and smallest model in its flagship K series range.
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The car is equipped with Kia’s next generation telematics service UVO that allows drivers to control their cars with a smartphone or other IT device. Other features include a parking assist, a welcoming service that reacts to the approach of the driver, cruise control and a sliding headrest.
Kia plans to start marketing the new K series in major markets including China and the US by 2013, with the aim of selling 410,000 K3 cars a year globally next year, rising to half a million in 2014.
