Kia Reveals Next Global Cerato Sedan

Kia recently released several sketches of the 2014 Cerato sedan—a car you know here in the U.S. as the compact Forte—and this past weekend the Korean automaker finally revealed the real deal. Even though the company provided only three images of the new Cerato, which also goes by the name “K3? in Korea, the photos clearly show the four-door is handsome. Kia also released some technical details about the new Forte, but let’s take a moment first to drink in Kia’s latest successful design. 

According to Kia, the next Forte/K3/Cerato will be longer, lower, and wider, plus will boast a stretched wheelbase. While we can’t speak to the first three dimensional increases, the longer wheelbase certainly is apparent; the acre of space between the wheels gives the sedan proportions similar to that of the Hyundai Elantra. Overall, the Forte is a handsome piece, and its design incorporates elements from Kia’s larger Optima and the smaller, subcompact Rio to good effect.

The new compact sedan will go on sale in other markets early next year, but it’s not clear yet when the Forte-badged version will reach our shores. Look for the 2014 Forte to appear at an auto show soon, likely at L.A. this fall. 

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2011 Kia Optima SX Verdict

Not that long ago, Kias were the butt of many jokes. But times have changed, and in just a few years, products from the Korean automaker have gone from afterthoughts to serious contenders on the automotive scene. Nothing hammers that point home more than the Optima SX. This Kia looks like no other Kia on the road, and people notice. Countless times, folks asked me what kind of car it was, or said, "Is that really a Kia?" When I'd assure them it was, their reactions were always the same: "Really! I thought Kias were cheap little cars." I'd reply, "Well, they kind of were, but not anymore." 

In the cabin, a child's car seat requires a lot of space. The front passenger seat has to be moved up quite far, and that usually cuts into the passenger's legroom. Fitting our Recaro child seat is not an issue in the Optima, even with 6-foot-tall Mom as the front passenger, and the latch points are easily accessible for installing the seat. The Optima's suspension feel has been an area of controversy. I found it too firm and jarring, especially on SoCal's uneven roads. Many of you commented on previous updates that the suspension was just fine, and I was being overly critical. As I've said, with plenty of power on tap from its turbo engine, the Optima feels great gliding down a smooth road, but the minute the surface gets bad, the car lets you know it. 

This isn't a sports car, it's a sporty family sedan, so the family shouldn't be punished when the road surface becomes irregular. Motor Trend has constantly knocked Kia for its suspensions, usually for being too soft. This time, the automaker just went too far in the other direction, but Kia is much closer to getting it right. While I didn't love the Optima's wheels, they did grow on me a little. But I like the new wheels on the refreshed Optima much better. The interior is top-notch in styling, materials, and build quality, reminding me of much higher-end European vehicles. I hope Kia continues to improve its entire line of cars, because some of them sorely need it, but the Optima isn't one of these, and it is currently Kia's top dog. It's a complete package, offering styling, performance, ease of use, and spacious interior with quality materials and build quality.

SX Premium Package ($2150: Panoramic roof, power front passenger seat, driver seat memory, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear outboard seats) Technology Package ($2000: Navigation w/ back-up camera, Infinity audio system) $240.43 (3-oil change; 2-inspection; 1-engine-air filter, cabin-air filter) 

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Kia Blows the Box Open on New 2014 Forte / K3 / Cerato Compact Sedan

As soon as Kia placed the new K3 compact sedan at a mall in its home market of South Korea, we knew it was only a matter of time before the automaker would blow the covers or in this case, the box off the compact sedan model. 

The first thing you need to know about the K3 is that it is a global model with the alphanumeric moniker used only in Korea where it goes on sale this fall.

In the first quarter of 2013, the sedan will begin arriving in North American dealerships as the 2014 Forte and in other markets as the new Cerato, with coupe and hatchback variants to follow in due time. We still do not know if Kia has plans to sell the compact saloon model in Europe.

"Longer, lower and wider than the current car, with an extended wheelbase, the next generation Forte / Cerato will be manufactured with an all-new bodyshell structure," Kia said in a short statement leaving many details up to our imagination. 

However, given its positioning in the market and the styling cues, it is believed that the K3 is based on the visually related European market Cee'd, which made its world premiere in both five-door hatchback and station wagon forms at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March. 

We expect more information to become available within the next few weeks, if not sooner. 

 

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Kia Cee'd Hatchback

The first-generation Kia Cee'd ushered in a new design language for Kia in Europe, and it looks as if history is about to repeat itself. The next-generation Cee'd, which is slated to debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, appears to push the design envelope even further.

The latest Cee'd - which is likely to remain a European exclusive - remains a hatchback, but shares only its daylight opening shape with its forebear. The new Cee'd packs plenty of Kia's latest design DNA into a compact vehicle: the corporate "tiger nose" grille is more prominent than ever, and flanked by long, tapered headlamps and a dramatically flared hood. As usual, the car also receives LED running lamps placed along the lower edges of the headlamp housings.

Further back, the new Cee'd shares a number of cues with the smaller Rio: taillights are mounted high up the curvaceous rear end, although the bumper cut echoes the shape of the hatch stamping itself. The lower diffuser is also a little more sophisticated, with raised accents surrounding the rear reflectors, license plate, and lower diffuser.

Inside, the interior is anything but drab. Like the Optima, the Cee'd's instrument panel wraps into the center stack. Grey plastic materials used on the dashboard itself are broken up with strips of glossy piano black trim. Door panels are two-toned, and the leather seats shown here feature contrast stitching. The look is refreshingly high-end - which is welcome, considering the C-segment continues to move upmarket in around the globe.

As for the mechanicals, it's still anyone's guess: Kia has been tight-lipped about the car's selection of engines. Currently, European models feature a range of gasoline and diesel engines that make anywhere between 89 and 126 horsepower, but it's been rumored that the Procee'd, the three-door version of the Cee'd, could make use of the the same 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine used in the new Hyundai Veloster Turbo.

Also unknown at the moment is whether or not this car will make it to the United States. We wouldn't be surprised if it didn't: after all, the previous Cee'd was designed expressly for the European market, which left North America with the Forte. We may not see a Cee'd on our shores, but we can only hope the next Kia C-segment offering for North America looks this good.  

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Kia Rio Sedan

Kia has really been upping their game over the past few years and I still had to reserve my judgment since I have not had a chance to drive any of them, just look at them. On the design side of things Kia gets top marks, the looks of the Rio Sedan are fresh modern and clean. The lines are great on the hatch and have crossed over well onto the sedans larger shape. Kia really made a smart move snapping up Peter Schreyer after he left Audi. His signature Tiger Nose design is fresh and has really brought Kia to the fore in the looks department. Where some of the Rio’s competitors have become a much of a much-ness, the Rio really stands out.

Inside this continues, the cabin is spacious, clutter free and everything laid out logically. I do wish they had used more soft touch materials than there appears to be but this doesn’t detract from it being a nice place to be. There was a good amount of space in the back even with the front seat in my driving position. I felt comfortable enough to sit there over an extended journey. It’s no luxury limo but, you will not be wanting for space. The seats are comfortable and with the great array of standard equipment, make it easy to chew away the miles in comfort. The satellite controls on the steering wheel means you never have to take your eyes off the road.

A nice touch is the two twelve volt power points in the front and the tray were you put your iPod has a perfect cut out for your iPhone or iPod to fit snugly and not slide around. The controls are easy to fathom and the Bluetooth is easy to pair, making it easy no matter if you’re 18 or 80.

I know that a lot of cars these days come with beeps and bongs mostly for the American market I guess and the Rio is no different. There is a bong from the seatbelts and then a bong when the key is in the ignition and you open the door, to tell you the key is there so you don’t leave it behind. Well I think that is just plain idiotic. Who leaves their keys in the ignition and walks away from their car to go shopping I ask? Boot space is huge and you will manage to get plenty of luggage in there with 389litres of space

The Rio rides well, feeling firm but not harsh and bumpy. It gives you a lot of confidence in the car and the chassis. The steering is light and easy to manuver in those tight parking lots, which I am sure it will spend a considerable amount of time in. The 1.2 litre unit powering  this base model won’t set any timing sheets on fire, we tested the 0-100 time at 17seconds which is slow by any means but this doesn’t really matter, let’s be frank  you’re not buying a car like this to race around in like Lewis Hamilton . The motor has good torque in the lower RPM range but, the power does seem to die off after 5000RPM. Fuel savings are part and parcel of this car, if you follow the trip computers and the prompts to change gears on the in dash display, you can see fuel figures coming down to as low as 4.3l/100km. Most of the time those figures will be around the 5.5l/100km which is great when you consider the ever rising fuel costs. The Rio’s clutch is light and easy to use but I did find it stalled far too easily pulling off in first. This can get very frustrating and you find yourself over revving just to compensate.

In summary the new Rio Sedan really impressed with its styling, good ride and cabin. Kia has become a real force to reckoned with that better have the other established marques really worrying how they are going to fight back. For the money and what you get as standard there is nothing right now that I would rather spend my hard earned cash on in this segment.

Pros:

Great styling

Bang for your buck motoring

Build Quality

Standard Features

Cons:

Too easy to stall in first gear

Engine needs more oomph

Steering is void of all feel

Specs:

Engine:  1248cc In-line, 4 Cyl 16 valve DOHC CVVT

Power: 65KW @ 6000RPM

Torque: 120NM @ 4000RPM

Standard Features:

Bluetooth, iPod, AUX, Mp3

Electric Windows

Air Con

Power Mirrors

Trip Computer

Special Thanks to Ian Little

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