Kia Motors’ new Forte, which replaced the compact C-segment Cerato in Korea, has been a big hit in terms of both domestic sales and exports compared with its predecessor.
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The Cerato had only a relatively small impact on a compact car market dominated by parent Hyundai Motor’s Avante, the Korea Herald said on Monday.
With more than 114,000 units exported during the first 10 months of the year, the Forte was the country’s third-most exported vehicle. In the domestic market, the car was the seventh best seller for the January – 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 paper noted.
The Forte was also among the 15 vehicles that JD Power and Associates considered to be fuelling the auto industry recovery in the United States, it said.
Other group vehicles on the list include Kia’s Soul crossover and Hyundai’s Accent and Genesis. US models on the list included the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro.
The two-litre version sold in Korea boasts the largest power output of any engine used in a domestic four-door compact car – 156bhp.
The 2010 Forte is the first domestic vehicle in its class fitted with a rearview mirror with a built-in screen linked to a rear view camera.
Also in June, the company introduced the Forte Koup, a two-door coupe that shares its platform with the Forte sedan.
Although most models sold around the world are exported from Korea, the Forte is also assembled at a joint venture plant in China. The previous Cerato model is still built and sold there.
