The car, which is to go on sale in North America in early summer of 2009, has been designed by Peter Schreyer, Kia’s chief design officer. Forte satisfies the needs of sport lovers in terms of design, but it also brings up a generous interior and a stylish overall look.

 

Kia announced the availability of three models, LX, EX and SX. The SX sportier version comes with specific-tuned suspensions for a firmer ride, is powered by a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine, and brings about 173 horsepower. The standard SX also comes with a six-speed manual transmission, and optional five-speed automatic transmission.

 

The LX and EX models have a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, produce 156 horsepower and come with multi-port electronic fuel injection for improved performance and economy. In addition to that, they come with a standard five-speed manual transmission, or an optional electrically controlled four-speed automatic transmission.

 

Sporting stylish and aggressive design cues, the new Forte firmly establishes itself as a strong contender in its segment – this is how Kia described Forte.

 

Speaking of the competition, Forte will need to play along with big names on the sedan market, such as Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.