According to a member of our Kia Forum, his Kia dealer already received the first 2010 Kia Forte compact sedan. The replacement for Spectra sedan has had it’s US premiere at Chicago auto show earlier this year and has been expected to hit the dealers across the USA in late spring or early summer.
This particular Forte model is painted in “Copperhead” color and is equipped with automatic transmission and 17-inch aluminium alloy wheels. The 2010 Forte sedan might look hot on the pictures, but according to Kid Icarus – the guy who took these shots, the car looks absolutely fantastic in-person, especially it’s interior.
May 27th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Thanks for the love Himi!
May 27th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Kid Icarus- is this an SX trim? I’m guessing it is since it has fog lights. We had the Ride and Drive two weeks ago in a black SX. It should have been called a Sit and Listen, since out of the 4+ hours of training we sat through, only about 5 minutes was a test drive.
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Hopefully we’ll see some of the Forte sedans soon. They told us within the next month is when they expect dealers to see them, and you obviously already have one in!
May 27th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Yes it’s a Copperhead SX with an automatic transmission
May 27th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Was your “sit and listen” conducted by a guy named Gregg? That’s who did ours.
May 27th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Negative Greg. It was a guy named Mike that actually mentioned this site as a good source of information about Kia. He just spent WAY TOO LONG! on everything else…
May 27th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
PS: He talked a lot about “the blue oval” since he worked for Ford for 18 years. He also was a maniac in the short test drive. Whilst I was driving, I had my left signal on to turn in so we could swap drivers. I told him that was where I was going to pull in to turn around. He grabbed the steering wheel and yanked to the right. So if a Police officer had been behind me they technically could have given me a citation for improper signalling. I mentioned this to Mike and he said he “didn’t have time” to wait for me to turn around. The place where I was intending to turn, and where he yanked the car into, are literally right across from each other. It’s a matter of a left or a right turn from the same point, to get into either destination.
May 27th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Oh, was he out of Chicago? Gregg let everyone test drive the Forte for 15-20 minutes each. Everyone had to sign release forms though.
May 27th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
We have several Fortes in route to our store now. We should be receiving them soon- can’t wait SX 6 speeds are in bound!
May 27th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Greg- Yes, he was actually a Kia employed technician that does training for our service techs. We had to sign the release form also. We did an R & D on the Borrego last year I think, and that trainer was actually employed by some company in Michigan that does the training for many manufacturers, not just H/K. The lady didn’t rush us on the test drive, and we had 7 people in the Borrego, and another group waiting at the dealership! There were only 4 people in the Forte, including Mike, and no one else at the dealership waiting.
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Colby- I’m excited about the 6 speeds manuals as well!
May 28th, 2009 at 1:56 am
Have any of your dealerships received the F orte brochure? It will probably be a while before any Las Vegas dealers have Forte’s in stock. I’m waiting for the Koup anyway.
May 28th, 2009 at 9:00 am
No we have not received our automatic shipment of Forte brochures from Kia yet
May 28th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
You guys will get time behind the wheels of Forte’s of all types, soon…just be patient! This new Forte looks beautiful, gorgeous even. I like the copperhead color for it…I like it a lot!
May 28th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Why is this being published now? We have had the Forte on our lot for over a month and have already sold a few
May 28th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
i’ve seen a good number of these on trailers here in UAE. but not seen even one with alloys!
May 28th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I was able to drive the Forte SX manual at a ride and drive in Toronto….That is an amazing car that totally out performed the Mazda 2.5l
May 28th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
What is taking them so long to release pricing?
May 28th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Brad- you folks in Canada have had the Forte for a month or longer. In the USA we’re still waiting. Kid Icarus is the first known dealer to have one (though there could be others, just not people active on Kia-World).
May 28th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
They’re debating on using US Dollars or Euros for the price. The SX automatic that we R & Ded was a little under $18k.
May 28th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
wow I am surprised that Canada got them first….well you are all in for a huge treat….but there are a lot of test pilots and tire kickers on the lots since the soul and forte have hit
May 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
What do you mean Euros? The Forte won’t even be sold in Europe!
May 28th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Forte went on sale in Canada late last month and 31 units were sold. Canada seems to always get new Kias first. The same story goes with the Soul, Canada got it first and US second.
May 28th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Sorry Greg, it was a joke.
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I think I’m going to move to Canada. They get the stuff first, better equipment, etc.
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May 28th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I said the same thing in a recent forum post due to the fact that Kia doesn’t want a Forte sale, because they failed to offer automatic temperature control in the US.
May 29th, 2009 at 5:28 am
The Forte arrived at Portland Oregon dealers yesterday (May 27, ’09).
May 29th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Kia does not want a Forte sale? Automatic temperature control? WTF? You want the Forte to cost over 22K? Buy an Optima then..
May 29th, 2009 at 8:27 am
The Automatic Temp Controls go on the Future versions of Accents and Elantras.
May 29th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Yeah, because automatic temperature control costs 4k.
May 29th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Putting a lot of small options, like Temp Control, etc; in the vehicles would just be a waste of money in this segment of cars. Once you start adding the price may only go up a few hundred, but start adding that up and next thing you know you have a $20,000+ USD Compact car.
May 29th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Also temp control is nice, but really an option most customers have no idea what the difference is at all
May 29th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
It just sickens me that this option is STANDARD on the SX in Canada.
May 29th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Yes, but some people will pay a little extra for a compact car they love. I paid over $20,000 for my ’08 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, but the car is totally worth it, It has a leather shift knob, leather steering wheel, 650-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo, automatic climate control, 6 “speed” titanium paddle shifters, automatic CVT transmission, foglights, sunroof (the stereo and sunroof are packaged together in what Mitsu calls their “Sun and Sound” package), wrap-around bodykit, etc. I paid the $22,200 happily for the car. My point is that to kick up the brand Kia should add the extras and charge for them. They’re worth it and customers will pay for them if they really want them. But Kia may want to stay the value economy brand, and that’s fine. It’s their company, they can do as they like, eh?
May 29th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Just make a Forte SX luxury package. Navigation, auto temp control, rear window sunshade, etc.
May 29th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
THERE IS NO MARKET FOR A LUXURY PACKAGE FORTE GREG!
May 29th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Oh no? What about the people who want a smaller, better looking car than the SX Optima for about 5-6k less? Those are the people who need the luxury package Forte SX. It would barely bring the car’s price above 20k, which is still far less than people pay for a Civic, Lancer, or others in that segment.
May 29th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
“Bryan Says: May 29th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Yes, but some people will pay a little extra for a compact car they love. I paid over $20,000 for my ‘08 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, but the car is totally worth it, It has a leather shift knob, leather steering wheel, 650-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo, automatic climate control, 6 “speed” titanium paddle shifters, automatic CVT transmission, foglights, sunroof (the stereo and sunroof are packaged together in what Mitsu calls their “Sun and Sound” package), wrap-around bodykit, etc. I paid the $22,200 happily for the car. My point is that to kick up the brand Kia should add the extras and charge for them. They’re worth it and customers will pay for them if they really want them. But Kia may want to stay the value economy brand, and that’s fine. It’s their company, they can do as they like, eh?”
No offense, but then you are one of the dumb people who bought it. The Lancer is a sales flop, and higher priced ones (excluding Evo) sit on lots for months and still are a tough sell with incentives. $22,200 for a Lancer is ridiculous, people would think the same about a Kia which is arguably a better car company.
Americans haven’t yet grasped the concept of paying for a compact vehicle with premium content.
May 29th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
My dealer just received our 2nd shipment of Fortes about 15mins ago. I received a Black EX with an automatic transmission and a Titanium LX with an automatic transmission and both have Stone interior. These are also sharp looking Fortes.
May 29th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I still don’t think there is a market for a luxury package Forte and neither does Kia obviously
May 29th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
They will not get our sale, that’s for sure!
May 29th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
In my office, all four of us drive 2006 Civics, we bought them at the same time. We saw the Forte, and all of us wanted one, but the lack of navigation? I know how Greg feels, once you get used to that auto temperature control, you almost can’t go back. We all have the top line Civic, and even in 2006 it had auto temperature control, and a navigation system. The Forte is a big flop, and Kia lost four of our sales.
May 30th, 2009 at 2:22 am
wow 5 sales out of 50,000 Forte’s..19K for a loaded SX is still steep. Don’t forget its a KIA..Does Honda have a 10 year 100K Mile warranty? Mitsubishi’s will be out of business in the US in the next 5 years the way they are going..
May 30th, 2009 at 3:08 am
I inspected a ‘Copperhead’ SX at a Portland area dealer today…very impressed with fit ‘n finish. It passed my first test, i.e. can I get comfortable in it with my 6’1″ and 235 lbs. Yes! The 43.3″ front leg room was generous and 1-2″ more than Civic, Mazda3, Malibu, and my wife’s Intrigue. The back seat was very comfortable (great back incline angle) and knees only just barely touched the front seat backs with the seats fully rearward. The only downside to the interior in my view was the lack of some soft contrasting colored materials on the doors to break up the all black (except metallic trim). I would possibly consider an aftermarket alteration to correct that lapse. Some previous reviews/tests mentioned a ‘tin can’ sound to the door closures…not! They closed with a solid thud on the model I viewed. Whew…passed another test. I will test drive the SX at a later date.
A bummer was the dealer’s Additional Markup of $2,500 over MSRP. But, knowledgeable buyers know that’s just a sales ploy to ignore when the buyer is dealing at ‘invoice plus’ (less than MSRP). Locally, 2010 Hyundai Touring units that have been on the market for only a few weeks are already being advertised with $4,000 factory discounts.
May 30th, 2009 at 3:47 am
The current SX Spectra is $19,745 loaded. While the Forte is somewhere around $18,250 loaded. There is no reason they can’t AT LEAST offer Navigation.
May 30th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I haven’t seen the navigation outside of the Korean market. I personally don’t think it’s a big deal. Just use a Navman or Tom Tom.
The lack of climate control on the US model is puzzling since most other markets have it.
May 30th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I wish the Forte had automatic climate control in the US though to go with the leather seats on the SX model.
May 30th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Mitch, who stole your thunder? You’ve probably never drove a Lancer, have you? It’s called loving a car, simple and true. I paid a reasonable amount for a great car. Are you mad I didn’t buy a Kia? I have bought two new Kia’s before. One, 1 ’99 Sephia and the other, a ’01 Sportage 4X4. Loved ‘em both and I would’ve bought a Kia Forte SX sedan if it would’ve beat the Lancer to market. But it didn’t. Get a life, loser. What an idiot. Don’t you love it when people talk out their *&^ and act like they know it all?
May 31st, 2009 at 1:18 am
I hate those aftermarket navis, especially after using the navi in the Borrego.
May 31st, 2009 at 6:35 am
Saw a silver one in Georgia. It already had a dent in it but looked AMAZING either way..
June 1st, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Got 3 fortes intoday, EX A/T w/ Roof n Wheels- sweet
June 1st, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I got in 2 SX models. 1 6 speed and it is just…wow
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:50 am
Yes the Forte is at some dealers as of this week in limited numbers. The soul is still in limited mumbers as well as the Borrego but ALL available. The dealer nearest me got 6 Forte in.
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:57 am
The car is a coup already under priced and with the warranty on a COUP! Seriously if Kia is losing business because people are to lazy to adj. their own climate or use a map or aftermarket navi. and thats the deal breaker, then go buy up lancers…
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:41 am
Lancers HAHAHA what a turd car…Mitsubishi will probably shut down in the US in the next couple of years..
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:26 am
Our dealership is scheduled to have 1 LX manual, 2 EX autos and 2 SX autos by the end of this week.
June 5th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
I just got 2 EX in yesterday. they drive very well and i was very surprised with the lack of road noise. Kia tends to have more road noise then other makes but the Forte was very quite.
June 5th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
We have 9 Fortes. 2 LX manuals, 1 LX automatic, 4 EX automatic, 2 SX automatic.
June 5th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
i can’t wait untill we can drive the koup. looks like we will not be getting any of those in about 3 to 4
more months
June 8th, 2009 at 4:08 am
Every dealer in northwest U.S. (Oregon-Washinton) now has the initial three (3) vehicle delivery of Forte models and some dealers are getting their second delivery cluster. But alas…I’m trying to locate an SX with AT and leather with no luck. The dealers are saying that leather may not be on the immediate horizon. I’m researching aftermarket leather as an option. Incidentally, local prices are running at invoice plus $300 to MSRP plus $100. One dealer, playing the numbers game, even had a $2,500 additional dealer markup over MSRP…lol!
June 8th, 2009 at 4:15 am
I haven’t yet driven an SX with the 45 series tires. Will those who have driven the SX please comment on ride quality and noise…too much of either (harshness or noise) could be a deal killer for me.
Thanks.
June 9th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
“Bryan Says: May 30th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Mitch, who stole your thunder? You’ve probably never drove a Lancer, have you? It’s called loving a car, simple and true. I paid a reasonable amount for a great car. Are you mad I didn’t buy a Kia? I have bought two new Kia’s before. One, 1 ‘99 Sephia and the other, a ‘01 Sportage 4X4. Loved ‘em both and I would’ve bought a Kia Forte SX sedan if it would’ve beat the Lancer to market. But it didn’t. Get a life, loser. What an idiot. Don’t you love it when people talk out their *&^ and act like they know it all?”
First off, let’s clear something up. I am not a Kia fanboy, nor do I own or have owned any Kia or Hyundai vehicles. I think that the Forte is going to be a hit for Kia and it will certainly help them gain some ground in this segment. I can’t wait to drive the Coup and see how it performs.
No one stole my thunder at all and I have driven a Lancer. I had a 2008 Lancer GTS as a RENTAL on my last business trip to Sacramento where I drove the vehicle for four days. I HATED the CVT, I hated the fit and finish, and the interior plastics were cut rate bargain basement junk. I am sorry if I struck a nerve, but the Lancer is not a competitive vehicle in its segment. So, if I have driven the vehicle I am not talking out of my a$$. I have also read all the reviews for it. The Lancer is a terrible vehicle and all of the major automotive publications agree. Car and Driver doesn’t like it, Motor Trend doesn’t like it and Consumer Reports did not rate it highly at all. Even the RA version is weak compared to the competition. Are those people talking out of their a$$?
Don’t be angry at me or call me an idiot because I am informed. You foolishly purchased a vehicle from a manufacturer that has PUBLICLY stated that it is looking to withdraw from the US market because it can’t manufacture a competitive product.
FYI: $22,000 isn’t a reasonable amount for a Lancer, it is outrageous. My local dealer is nearly GIVING away loaded Lancers (compared to invoice) and still has many MY2008s on the lot that are selling for almost $11,000. That isn’t love, that is stupid. Who is the idiot now?
June 10th, 2009 at 7:15 am
You are. And where are you getting all of these negative reviews. Talking out your hindquarters again. The new world order Lancer is getting great reviews and great crash-test results as well. Hey listen, dork, hate on the Lancer all you want. I love it and I love it more with each passing day. Enjoy driving your Nissan Cube. That’s probably what an idiot like you would drive. Laaa-hhuu-ha-hhuuh-ha-loooossssseeeeeeer!!!
June 10th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
“Bryan Says: June 10th, 2009 at 7:15 am
You are. And where are you getting all of these negative reviews. Talking out your hindquarters again. The new world order Lancer is getting great reviews and great crash-test results as well. Hey listen, dork, hate on the Lancer all you want. I love it and I love it more with each passing day. Enjoy driving your Nissan Cube. That’s probably what an idiot like you would drive. Laaa-hhuu-ha-hhuuh-ha-loooossssseeeeeeer!!!”
Real mature response. It is obvious I am dealing with a kid.
The reviews can be found on any of the respective websites I mentioned above. If you are too ignorant to see for yourself, then I don’t know what to tell you. I have never seen any Lancer, from any generation (including the most current) get great reviews anywhere. Both inside the US, and out.
Just for the record, I drive an ’07 335i with a Vishnu tune. THAT is a vehicle that has garnered a lot of praise.
June 12th, 2009 at 1:16 am
Interesting! In Kia’s 14 page Forte (U.S.), there are 5 pages displaying the interior, all of which are leather…no cloth. But, just try to find a leather interior to view or purchase. Leather is a no-show.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:34 am
i like the cloth interior in the SX very nice
June 15th, 2009 at 2:43 am
OK, you really are a smart guy. Wasting your hard-earned cash on a rig like a ’07 335i with a fish-manure breath tune. Are you high on crack? Start making sense or I’m sentencing you to 3 years straight listening to Britnet Spears muzak.
June 16th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Welcome to the Bryan & Mitch FLAMES FORUM.
Gotta be movin’ on…no constructive dialog here. Count me outta dis place.
June 16th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
“Bryan Says: June 15th, 2009 at 2:43 am
OK, you really are a smart guy. Wasting your hard-earned cash on a rig like a ‘07 335i with a fish-manure breath tune. Are you high on crack? Start making sense or I’m sentencing you to 3 years straight listening to Britnet Spears muzak.”
Okay, cheif. I am a smart guy, hence why I can afford the Bimmer. I didn’t get my masters to drive around in a beater.
I didn’t waste my money on the 335. Also, that is one of the leading tunes for the N54.
Might want to do some research. Spending $22,000 on a flop of a vehicle is a mistake.
June 16th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Mitch-you are da man, man.
June 16th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
i bet mitch and brian are married in real life. they sure sound like a old husband and wife team
June 17th, 2009 at 4:05 am
We’re just a couple of old farts snipping and cussing while playing barnyard pool, farting loudly as we wish. Ignore us and we will go away. I sure am enjoying the new Guess Who CD I bought that has their album called ‘So Long Bannatyne’ and ‘#10′ both on it, on only one CD. It’s rocking my SE Arizona home bigtime! Boy Howdy!
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:09 pm
The U.S. Forte brochure mistakenly identifies the 2.4 engine as having an IRON BLOCK…see the specs page.