Vehicle
2010 Kia Forte EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
Review
I got my kia when they first hit the Parkersburg lot, and I have loved it! I live in WV and we have had a lot snow this year and my forte goes great! The traction control has been a big help on icy conditions and all the extra features just add to the wonderfulness that is my forte. It is a bit rough over bumps, but thats most small cars I've driven.
Favorite Features
bluetooth, traction control, shiftable automatic, dash and console design, great gas mileage
Suggested Improvements
outside temp gauge to match the compass,the headrest adjusts to uncomfortable positions
Vehicle
2010 Kia Forte Koup SX 2dr Coupe (2.4L 4cyl 5A)
Review
Great little coupe, lol. Handles well, drives well and has plenty of get up and go when you want it, very leisurely when cruising around the block or on the interstate. I think 0-60 times are incorrect...I hit 85mph before entering the interstate on a standard on ramp. Very nice sounding stereo, love the simplicity of the interior.
Favorite Features
Acceleration, stereo, bluetooth, comfort, trunk size, mpg. I also love the turn indicators built into the mirrors and the headlights are very bright at night, with very clear visibility even in heavy rain.
Suggested Improvements
Make the ride just a tad softer. Other than that, I really have no complaints!
Was this review helpful
Vehicle
2010 Kia Forte SX 4dr Sedan (2.4L 4cyl 5A)
Review
I know I'm in the honeymoon period right now seeing as I've only had the car for 3 days, but I'm really impressed with my purchase. Kia definitely surprised me with the Forte. I never thought I'd buy a Kia but I couldn't be happier at the moment. The SX with leather is definitely the best trim to go. I got it in Spicy Red, which comes with red stitching on the leather, heated seats. I love the auto shutoff on the headlights/fog lights. The steering wheel controls are very well planned out and the steering wheel itself looks great. The back seat and the trunk have significantly more room than other comparable compact sedans like the Focus, Corolla, and Civic.Engine has alot of peppiness to it
Favorite Features
Exterior looks; leather heated seats with red stitching; homelink w/ compass; doors unlock when you shutoff the car; auto shutoff on the headlamps/fog lamps; back seat leg room; trunk room; side mirror turn signals; engine's peppiness; trip computer and speedometer display are great
Suggested Improvements
Increase gas mileage; add an external thermometer; reconfigure the bluetooth to not always peep so load when you try to call someone---almost hurts my ears everytime; add ambient lighting; add the speaker lights option like what the Kia Soul has; add a push button start; add remote powerstart
Best Car I have bought
Written by: newcarbuyer on 01/23/2010
Detailed Ratings
Overall Rating
Performance: 10 Fun-to-Drive: 10 Build Quality: 10
Comfort: 10 Interior Design: 9 Reliability: 10
Fuel Economy: 10 Exterior Design: 10
Vehicle
2010 Kia Forte EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
Review
Between me and my wife we have bought about 6 new cars in the last 25 years. We have owned Ford, Mitsubishi's, Toyotas, Nissans and finally Kias. I have owned the Kia Forte for the past 6 months. It is the best car I have bought. My enthusiasm for the car hasn't diminished in the past 6 months. I like the firm suspension that the Forte was intentionally designed with unlike the VERY soft ride of Toyota and GM. Quality, pickup and gas mileage is great. I do not know how they got the highest horsepower with the greatest mileage in its class for a gas driven car. The engineering of the car is solid and the interior is nice and the car lines are good. I would highly reccemend this car.
Favorite Features
Solid suspension and handles well, Nice feature set (ABS, ESC, Aux Audio In, USB port & Bluetooth), Nice interior (doesn't look or feel cheap), nice exterior lines.
Suggested Improvements
sunvisor removes too easy from sunvisor holder. Door detent should be stronger (light wind closes the door). Bluetooth Cell phone connections loads phone every time you restart the car Bluetooth should have memory and maintain the phonebook
Friday, February 12, 2010
Founded 1944
Headquarters Seoul, South Korea
Number of locations Main Plant Locations: Hwaseong Plant, Hwaseong, South Korea; Sohari Plant, Gwangmyeong, South Korea; West Point Plant, Georgia, USA; Kwang-Ju Plant, Gwangju, South Korea; Seosan Plant, Seosan, South Korea; Slovakian Plant, Žilina, Slovakia
Area served International
Key people Byung-Mo Ahn: Group President and CEO Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia
Industry Automobile manufacturer
Products Automobiles; over 1,000,000 sold last year.
Employees 57,000 (as of July 10, 2009)
Parent Hyundai Kia Automotive Group (40%)
Website kia.com
Headquarters Seoul, South Korea
Number of locations Main Plant Locations: Hwaseong Plant, Hwaseong, South Korea; Sohari Plant, Gwangmyeong, South Korea; West Point Plant, Georgia, USA; Kwang-Ju Plant, Gwangju, South Korea; Seosan Plant, Seosan, South Korea; Slovakian Plant, Žilina, Slovakia
Area served International
Key people Byung-Mo Ahn: Group President and CEO Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia
Industry Automobile manufacturer
Products Automobiles; over 1,000,000 sold last year.
Employees 57,000 (as of July 10, 2009)
Parent Hyundai Kia Automotive Group (40%)
Website kia.com
KIA Forte
The Kia Forte is a compact car manufactured by Kia Motors. In 2009, it replaced the Spectra in North America. In its first year, the Forte was Kia's top-selling car, with the company selling more than 300,000 units in the first year of launching.
First generation
The Forte shares the same platform as the Kia cee'd.[citation needed]
Kia KOUP
The Kia KOUP was a concept vehicle for the Kia Forte. It included panoramic-view glass roof, carbon fiber chin spoiler, lamp lenses, cowl panel, side-view mirrors, rear bumper insert and rear diffuser; Brembo brakes, Supervision instrument panel, eight speakers, Bluetooth-enabled navigation system with Map On Demand (MOD), 2.0-liter Theta II twin scroll turbocharged direct injection engine rated 290hp, Continuous Damping Control, six standard airbags, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), 245/40ZR19 tires, adaptive front lighting and cruise control.
The vehicle was unveiled in 2008 New York International Auto Show.[1][2]
Forte sedan
The Forte sedan was designed by Kia chief design officer Peter Schreyer, former lead designer for Audi.[3][4] It is based on the Kia KOUP Concept, a two-door coupe, and was designed in Kia's California design studio.[5][6]
US model was unveiled in 2009 Chicago Auto Show.[7][8]
Korean model went on sale in 2008-08-22.[9]
Kia Forte Koup
Main article: Kia Forte Koup
The 2010 model year vehicle was unveiled at the 2009 New York Motor Show. The production vehicle includes choice of 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine or 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine.[10
Affiliations and subsidiaries
Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the American sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States. For 2008, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share. In August 2009, Kia was the 8th-best selling automotive brand in the United States, outselling makes like Chrysler and Mazda.
In November 2009, Kia started production at the first U.S. Kia Motors plant, Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia in West Point, Georgia, U.S.A.. The facility is building the 2011 Kia Sorento crossover vehicle.
Kia Motors Europe
Kia Motors Europe (KME) is the European sales and marketing division of Kia Motors Corporation (KMC). In 2007 KME moved from its previous location at Hauptstrasse 185, Eschborn, Frankfurt to a new purpose built facility adjacent to the Messe in Frankfurt city centre.
From 1995 to 1999 Kia produced left and right hand drive versions of the Sportage SUV at the Karmann factory in Germany. From 1999 until production of the model ceased in 2003, all Sportage production reverted to South Korea.
Kia began importing cars to Europe in early 1991, initially selling just the Pride mini-car. It initially proved popular with buyers but sales fell towards the end of the decade and the end of production was finally announced in May 2000, with its successor — the Rio — not going on sale for another year.
The European range expanded in 1994 when Kia began importing the larger Mentor, a range of medium sized hatchbacks and sedan which were marketed as cheap and well-equipped alternatives to the likes of the Ford Escort and Vauxhall/Opel Astra. A facelift in 1999 saw the Mentor name retained for the saloon, but the hatchback was renamed Shuma. These models remained on sale until 2004, when the newer Cerato was launched and gave Kia one of its first serious competitors for mainstream brands.
The Sportage SUV range has been popular across Europe, but since 2002 Kia has gained more sales in this market thanks to the launch of the larger Sorento.
Kia did not enter Europe's large family car market until the launch of its Credos four-door sedan in 1999. This car was similar in size to the Ford Mondeo, but on its launch was actually cheaper to buy than the smaller Focus. It had a spacious interior, large boot, competitive asking price and high equipment levels, but it had little more appeal to sway buyers away from established European brands like Ford Motor Company, Vauxhall/Opel, Renault and Peugeot. Its successor, the Magentis, launched in 2001, was still nowhere near as popular as Kia might have hoped it would be.
Kia entered the MPV market in 1999 with the Sedona. On its launch, it was the cheapest full-size people carrier on sale in the United Kingdom.
2004 saw the commencement of European imports for the Kia Picanto city car. It has proved very popular with budget buyers in most of Europe.
As of 2007, Kia has been importing cars to Europe for 16 years. On its arrival, just one model was being sold. The range has gradually expanded over that time so the marque has a competitor in just about every sector except for the luxury and sports market. Sales of its products have so far failed to match those of established European brands, but current sales records have been impressive for a marque which only arrived in Europe at the start of the previous decade.
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the American sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States. For 2008, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share. In August 2009, Kia was the 8th-best selling automotive brand in the United States, outselling makes like Chrysler and Mazda.
In November 2009, Kia started production at the first U.S. Kia Motors plant, Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia in West Point, Georgia, U.S.A.. The facility is building the 2011 Kia Sorento crossover vehicle.
Kia Motors Europe
Kia Motors Europe (KME) is the European sales and marketing division of Kia Motors Corporation (KMC). In 2007 KME moved from its previous location at Hauptstrasse 185, Eschborn, Frankfurt to a new purpose built facility adjacent to the Messe in Frankfurt city centre.
From 1995 to 1999 Kia produced left and right hand drive versions of the Sportage SUV at the Karmann factory in Germany. From 1999 until production of the model ceased in 2003, all Sportage production reverted to South Korea.
Kia began importing cars to Europe in early 1991, initially selling just the Pride mini-car. It initially proved popular with buyers but sales fell towards the end of the decade and the end of production was finally announced in May 2000, with its successor — the Rio — not going on sale for another year.
The European range expanded in 1994 when Kia began importing the larger Mentor, a range of medium sized hatchbacks and sedan which were marketed as cheap and well-equipped alternatives to the likes of the Ford Escort and Vauxhall/Opel Astra. A facelift in 1999 saw the Mentor name retained for the saloon, but the hatchback was renamed Shuma. These models remained on sale until 2004, when the newer Cerato was launched and gave Kia one of its first serious competitors for mainstream brands.
The Sportage SUV range has been popular across Europe, but since 2002 Kia has gained more sales in this market thanks to the launch of the larger Sorento.
Kia did not enter Europe's large family car market until the launch of its Credos four-door sedan in 1999. This car was similar in size to the Ford Mondeo, but on its launch was actually cheaper to buy than the smaller Focus. It had a spacious interior, large boot, competitive asking price and high equipment levels, but it had little more appeal to sway buyers away from established European brands like Ford Motor Company, Vauxhall/Opel, Renault and Peugeot. Its successor, the Magentis, launched in 2001, was still nowhere near as popular as Kia might have hoped it would be.
Kia entered the MPV market in 1999 with the Sedona. On its launch, it was the cheapest full-size people carrier on sale in the United Kingdom.
2004 saw the commencement of European imports for the Kia Picanto city car. It has proved very popular with budget buyers in most of Europe.
As of 2007, Kia has been importing cars to Europe for 16 years. On its arrival, just one model was being sold. The range has gradually expanded over that time so the marque has a competitor in just about every sector except for the luxury and sports market. Sales of its products have so far failed to match those of established European brands, but current sales records have been impressive for a marque which only arrived in Europe at the start of the previous decade.
History
According to Kia Motors, the name "Kia" derives from the Sino-Korean words ki ("to come out") and a (which stands for Asia), it is roughly translated as "arise or come up out of Asia" or "rising out of Asia".[1][2]
South Korea's oldest car company, Kia was founded in 1944 as a manufacturer of steel tubing and bicycles. In 1952, Kia changed its name from Kyungsung Precision Industry,[3] and later built motorcycles (starting in 1957), trucks (1962) and cars (1974). Starting in 1986, in partnership with Ford, Kia produced several Mazda derived vehicles for both domestic sales in South Korea into other countries. These models include the Pride (based on the Mazda 121) and Avella, which were sold in North America and Australasia as the Ford Festiva and Ford Aspire.
In 1992, Kia Motors America was incorporated in the United States. The first Kia-branded vehicles in the United States were sold from four dealerships in Portland, Oregon in February 1994. Since then, Kia expanded methodically one region at a time. Dealers in 1994 sold the Sephia, and a few years later the United States line expanded with the addition of the Sportage.
However, Kia's bankruptcy in 1997, part of the Asian financial crisis, resulted in 51% of the company being acquired in 1998 by South Korean rival Hyundai Motor Company, outbidding Ford Motor Company which had owned an interest in Kia Motors since 1986.[4] Subsequently, however, Hyundai has divested some of its ownership of Kia Motors[5], and currently Hyundai Motor Company owns less than 40% of the company.
South Korea's oldest car company, Kia was founded in 1944 as a manufacturer of steel tubing and bicycles. In 1952, Kia changed its name from Kyungsung Precision Industry,[3] and later built motorcycles (starting in 1957), trucks (1962) and cars (1974). Starting in 1986, in partnership with Ford, Kia produced several Mazda derived vehicles for both domestic sales in South Korea into other countries. These models include the Pride (based on the Mazda 121) and Avella, which were sold in North America and Australasia as the Ford Festiva and Ford Aspire.
In 1992, Kia Motors America was incorporated in the United States. The first Kia-branded vehicles in the United States were sold from four dealerships in Portland, Oregon in February 1994. Since then, Kia expanded methodically one region at a time. Dealers in 1994 sold the Sephia, and a few years later the United States line expanded with the addition of the Sportage.
However, Kia's bankruptcy in 1997, part of the Asian financial crisis, resulted in 51% of the company being acquired in 1998 by South Korean rival Hyundai Motor Company, outbidding Ford Motor Company which had owned an interest in Kia Motors since 1986.[4] Subsequently, however, Hyundai has divested some of its ownership of Kia Motors[5], and currently Hyundai Motor Company owns less than 40% of the company.
Kia Motors
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