Kia Forte K3 - Korea Rising (Part 2)

The absence of turbocharging is also evident in the Forte’s century sprint timing of 11.6 seconds. It’s sprightly enough in the real world of our 250km test route in Dubai, but after having been spoiled rotten by the immediacy of a modern smalldisplacement turbocharged mill, it’s hard to go back to anything else.

Elsewhere on the drivetrain front, the transmission, a 6-speed automatic, is carried over (developed and manufactured in-house by Hyundai-Kia, one of the few automakers in the world to do so) and is still a class act. The paddleshifters are also carried over, although the manual override can now be engaged simply by flipping either paddle. Before, you first had to engage the gearlever’s manual override mode before the paddles became usable.

Light fantastic led: tail-lamps help the Forte K3 cut a striking figure, though they’re a little oversized

This is great news for drivers keen on a spot of instant “DIY” every now and then. A few pulls of the downshift paddle, and a lower gear can be swiftly engaged to help you attack the series of tight bends ahead.

Unfortunately, we weren’t quite able to test that (plus the claims of a 37 per cent improvement in torsional rigidity and the new electronic stability management programme) along our ramrod-straight and pancake-flat test route.

What the route did allow us to test was the Forte K3’s new three-mode Flex Steer system, which allows drivers to vary the amount of assistance from the electric power steering. What Flex Steer purports to do is provide less assistance in Sport and more in Comfort, while Normal provides a middle ground – even though we didn’t notice much difference between the three.

However, we’re prepared to give Kia the benefit of the doubt considering the relative gentleness of our route. This did let us test the Forte K3’s cruising refinement, however.

Unalloyed beauty: Two-tone 17-inch wheels exude quality and are great to look at - Get the led out led: daytime running lights add a nice touch to the front end

We noticed a marked reduction in road and wind noise against the previous model. Even at speeds above 120km/h, and with desert winds coming in from all directions, the cabin stayed fairly tranquil – the most audible sound was that of the engine.

While we would have liked to put the Forte K3 through a bit more of an extensive shakedown (along twistier roads, for instance), our first impressions are very favorable indeed.

The Forte K3 improves on what is already a winning formula. And to think that just a decade ago, this would have been unthinkable for the marque.

The car will still be relatively affordable, too. A spokesperson from Cycle & Carriage Kia said the Forte K3 will cost about the same as the outgoing Forte, which is around $130,000 at press time. This is despite the fact that the K3 has a higher OMV, as the $5,000 CEVS rebate will offset that higher cost.

Das boot: Generous 421L boot space makes light work of big loads

Affordable, good-looking and well-equipped though it may be, it’s hard to see the Forte K3 emulating the runaway success of its predecessor, no thanks to the sky-high cost of a Category A COE. If the doomsday prophets are right, Cat A COEs are set to breach the psychologically significant $100,000 mark before 2013 is out.

It would be sad if K3 sales are hamstrung by COEs because the car represents a clear step above the Japanese. If Kia can keep it up, perhaps the German competition should start worrying about this Asian dragon.

That was my forte

It’s hard to believe that just five short years ago, Kia cars were cheap… and not much else. All that changed with the Cerato Forte in 2009. The car’s stylish design, well-put-together interior, mile-long list of standard equipment and relative affordability made it a smart choice for bargain-hunting buyers. Of course, the relatively low COE premiums at the time also contributed to its success.

In the ensuing years, the explosion in COE premiums hurt sales. Regardless, the Cerato Forte remained a hugely important model for Kia, proving that the Koreans were a force to be reckoned with.

Just how significant is its design? They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the Forte received the ultimate compliment two years ago at the Shanghai Motor Show – we spied a Chinamade knockoff “concept” featuring such classy touches as a star motif on its tyres.

Specifications