Kia Cerato Forte

I am in the car rental business and have been driving all sort of vehicle daily. From Toyota to BMW.

Quick review and conclusion.

Took the car up to KL and Genting over weekend. Power was the most powerful in its class. No problem overtaking or driving consistently on the right lane of NS Hwy. 6 speed gear box and great chassis makes going up genting and down hill a breeze. Peddle shift was very responsive and also auto shift up when you touch redline. Brilliant gearbox! During down hill, I uses 2nd and 3rd gear only and hardly uses brake or accelerator.

Handling was sharp and nifty. Very little body roll and traction was perfect. No loss of traction or skid experience despite wet road and sharp bend. Attributed to the good chassis, suspension setup, 17" rim, ESC and surprisingly the stock Kumho tyres. Seat was the most comfortable among all the cars I have driven beyond C segment. I sat in it for 6 hours due to jam with no complain. Feels everything is right and great support all round.

Self installed cruise control and notice engine lack of torque during normal cruising speed to maintAin speed when encounter up slope. Usually auto gear will drop 2 speed to archive the torque required to maintain. Over NS Hwy, my average fuel consumption is approximate 13km/L at 120-130km/hr.

When driving in Singapore, I almost doing 100% city driving with 0% expressway. Archive 9-10km/L.

Air con is very efficient. Loves the sound system as it has the best audio quality I ever heard from a car in this segment. Bluetooth capability is impressive as it also allows the playback of MP3 from my iPhone.

Since I didn't allocate much budget for the car but neither did I want a cheapo one. I was looking for value for money car. Must be functional, but must not be so basic type, at least you must enjoy what you ride. Definitely forget about the brand or made to show off. I found that this is the car that I was looking for. Have been riding Kia Cerato Forte 1.6 SX for almost 6+ months already, so far the car has been good on me, of course in terms of fuel consumption cannot compare with VW, Honda or Toyota. Of course in terms of confort, cannot compare with BMW or Merc. But its the car that you feel you really can rely on (will not make you stranded in the middle of road or afraid of rain seepage), it's the car you can really depend on (will carry you where you want to go safely). With the money you paid, you have all the functionalities that you can get only at premium high end cars. P.S. some people say the car pick up is not good, I think it is during the initial 3000 km when the engine is still quite new. After that the pickup is comparable to others, recommend to use Shell fuel which you will give better power than other at pick up. Also regarding power, I think it depends on how much you know about your car and individual skill.

Reading some of the reviews, it's really hilarious. Drives like a Conti car? Come on, get real. The only good thing about this car is the shape and design. You really get what you pay. I can live with poor sales, poor service if I paid for a cheap car since I don't face them everyday. But to pay for a car that get cracked windscreen as a norm is something nobody expects.

The drive is expected of what was paid. Nothing fancy. Same for FC and comfort. Kimchi cars are still far lagging behind Sushi. That is a fact.

Own this car for close to a year now, like it 6 speed so when cruising at 100km, rpm hit about 2.5 bar. Pick up if rev hard FC will be bad, but if maintained at 2 to 2.5 pick up rpm, the FC is pretty good and must not be traffic light racer.Average FC is about 11.7km/L

When it corners, it handle itself pretty well maybe the weight does play a part. But mind the turning radius for U-turn.

Interior features package is more than jap counterparts, and so far no issue till now unlike my previous cars. Stock speakers is not bad.

Boot wise is pretty sufficient, if loading of super big items from ikea i can rest down the rear seats too.

A good buy for bread n butter car, exterior styling give a lasting feel as compared to others.

I drove the 2009 series Cerato Forte and have been driving it for close to 3 years. The Forte is improving, but i find out (after about 2 yrs of driving) that the improvements are only superficial. The quality of the materials that were used to build the Forte were not so good, even with the now better interiors and additional functions. If you can accept going back to the agent for repair frequently, then the car is definitely a good buy. Ever wondered why after deducting the COE cost from the price, the car price is still about the same as when it was initially launched, even with the now better interior and more functions such as retractable mirror etc?

In the first week after collecting the car, i need to go back to Kia to get a window panel changed because it has air bubble in it. In the 1st 6-month, i had to go back again because there were knocking sounds coming from the suspension when i go over the hump. Recently, my windscreen cracked for no reason and got to replace. Then the gearbox leaked and the car cannot be driven.

Not-suprisingly, these faults were also mentioned by other Forte owners.

So in short, if you are willing to take a risk and see whether your Forte can be a long lasting car, good luck trying

Drove this for 7 months already

If you're looking for a bread and butter car right now, the Forte is a very good buy.

The major competitors for the Forte and Chevy Cruze and Nissan Almera.

The Almera looks like crap IMO. The choice between Cruze and Forte comes down to the bells and whistle and the weight. The Cruze is very heavy and will affect acceleration and fuel consumption. But it is stable at high speeds

Even with the downsides, I would whole heartedly recommend this car

Have brought the SX (A) for more then 4 month. Everythings on this car so far so good except a bit slow when up slop n road noise. Other then this no comments.

First from the outside, Cerato Forte has long won my heart over since it launch in 2009. A well designed sedan with sporty curves. Don't look like budget car.

From inside, The SX variant almost come with everything you will need.. minus the missing GPS/Reverse Cam (which I think are better to get 3rd party). The back seats are comfortable even the middle seat, spacious enough to fir 3 adult.

Performance wise, my first time with an auto car, but among this and Cruze 2011 LS which has 6 speed, the pick up is noticeable slightly weaker. Mine was a 4 speed 1.6A, the 6 speed version should at least match the Cruze if not better.

A beauty on the road, I went to check out this model and was amazed in both the interior and exterior designs. Tested and love the feel of its comfort and elegance. Received the car on 14 June and have being going to the servicing since.

1. Condensation in the headlights due to improper sealing.

2. Alignment towards left and cannot go straight for more than 3m.

3. Now car is towed to service center as my clutch was leaking. I do not know if it is a manufacturing fault or by accident, but i definitely do not expect these problems from a new car that is ard 2weeks old. Very disappointed and had bad dreams of me losing control due to the leakage as i ferry my family frequently. I understand its the luck factor, but this car was rather problematic.

I almost lost my patience. Originally was told latest by Monday. Today was told latest by this Friday. Service is bad after paying money. Anyway, still recommend this cheap car. However, with high COE, it makes more sense to buy a better car if you can afford.

I have been driving this car for a year and it still runs wonderfully, I had even take it up to Genting and back. Its a steal for your money. Stable and drives like a continental! Dont just consider J made car, this one surely beats alot from J country. You will not be dissappointed.

Bought my Forte for more than 1 year.

Overall I can say the car is great!

However, the plastic interior gotten alot of scratches (Probably due to the passengers who took my ride!! >: ()

KIA should improve its interior hard plastic.

My push start button is faulty but free replacement due to warranty.

Also I think KIA reputation of poor engine is obvious as most car tends to want to overtake me or do not allow me to change lane when I intend to.

However, I usually got my way becv they unestimated the FROTE. haha

I'd say Cerato Forte started to bright the KIA brand.. Previously I can't sight of KIA design.. too silly.. but now seems to have getting in force to beat JP cars

I just bought my 1.6SX 1 month ago and I must say that I am thoroughly pleased with the car. The car has quite a lot of features which you would not normally find in other cars of the same class. The only improvement that I wish for is that it is lighter in weight like the City, Mazda 3 and Altis. In my opinion, difference of 100kg or more is a lot.

The Kia Forte came across as a stylish car to me. With it 124bhp for a 1.6L car, the power is very decent. Overtaking is not much of an issue. Handling is pretty decent too.

With COE at rocket high price coupled with high YEN, the KIA Cerato Forte is giving the Jap a SERIOUS run for their $.