just called and spoke to the salesman name Mr Yuzi, they will only know the spec details on this coming friday

spec same posted, 1.6 comes with 2 variants (starting from 75k - 78k) if i remembered correct (didnt pay attention), 2.0L only 1 variant (90 - 92k)

Singapore is faster than Australia it seems
The thing about the Forte is that different market get different things so it's hard to compare head-to-head. There's the 1.6 and 2.0 in SEA, North America gets 2.0 for the LX and EX plus 2.4 for the SX, we get 2.0 for both the S and SLi, with the S being the cheapskate version and SLi being the full spec. Our Koup doesn't come with mood speakers compared to other markets, but that's not a major problem since the bling is more for show than practicality.

Yup, it does state 28/10/09 as the launch date, but there's no other details regarding the 3 different trims. I'm guessing basic = LX, novus = EX, and the 2.0 = SX, but who knows?

I wonder what's going to happen to all those old Spectra5s... more discounts?

so space man..

you now in aus? and you know what koup here comes with that silly (to me..) mood speaker...haaaa... and very.well priced just 4k+ above forte.. with push button etc... hiaz... tempting...

and for all info...
Kia and Hyundai sales up by 137 and 88%! and Toyot* down by 58% Hond* down by 23%~ in recent registration records...haaa... kimchi is getting more attention now... even media now reported kimchi standard and quality improved a lot....

novus normally ill be the higher spec one. the normal 1 is EX.

hope this coming friday will end our waiting for this beauty..

will consider to get one early next year.

don't worry... the silly mood speaker light can be turn off what...
go for it la~ hehe...
seems like it's going to launch anytime soon...
wahaha~ so excited...

is this new forte same engine like spectra 5 ??? i mean 1.6 punya.

Yeah in Aust now... need to get a car soon for work next year, Forte's high up on the list but will KIV other makes as well. Koup seems like a very good deal and it's only 2KAUD extra. Just treat it as extra money for the fancy bling rims and body kit. The absence of mood speakers and push start button won't affect my decision too much; after all they are just for show instead of actual practicality.

Maybe I should save the money and go for cheap second hand cars 3 year old Mazda 3s only cost half price.

Kias are not particularly popular here. I've only seen less than 10 different Fortes in Melbourne and only 1 Soul, compared to the numerous i30s rolling everywhere (3s, Civics, and Corollas flood the road in terms of C-segments, with Lancers not too far behind). Rio is still the most common Kia sedan around town. Fingers crossed that it won't affect the price of servicing and spare parts.

People are going for Korean value nowadays as the prices of Jap cars are going up, especially Hyundai which have turned people's perception in good ways.

This post has been edited by StarGhazzer: Oct 21 2009, 07:10 PM

OIC..
But please be aware Mz3 (last model) FC is avg at best... but riding comfort is good then cabin space is hmmm... only... it was on my list prior too cos.. before changing to new Mz3 2009 they kind of offer to clear.. at 55+k sgd..

Tot car advice review (long term) is kind of +ve...? for forte? no worry so far.. except the wind screen cracking issue..

cheers to you.. and happy buying...

Yup, most reviews regarding the Forte have been pretty thumbs up. Apart from the windscreen cracking issue which plagued the first batch of Fortes, there hasn't been much complaints in other automative blogs and forums. In fact, most of the windscreen problems were reported in ceratoforte.sg and seldom in other countries, so not sure whether it's a localised defect or not.

Mazda 3's reviews have always praised the driving dynamics but space + comfort were the downsides. The sacrifice in FC is expected for cars with a spirited 2.0L engine. I personally have never had any experience with the old or new 3, so can't give any feedback on it. The smiley new 3 doesn't suit my taste, therefore I don't think I'll put myself in debt for something which I dislike. Having said that, my friend just got himself the basic 3 Neo which costed almost 28K after adding some accessories... maybe I'll have a chance to ride it once he gets it.

My previous target was a Civic, but with the full spec 2.0 Sport exceeding 30K, it's probably not worth it. For the price of the midrange VTi-L 1.8L Civic, I might as well get the top range SLi Forte. City? It's a freaking 1.5L joke... Full spec City costs the same as the basic Civic, while the basic City is cost-equivalent to the baremetal Cerato/Forte S. T_T

I would not compare forte with city..(though magazine / reviews like to due the price range..) ill take forte anyday.. for the price with city.. haa...
Civic to me is overpriced too.. (to me at least) and you know. some forumers actually says forte cruising NVH is better then civic.. (not to sure personally..though..) but must say forte is really quiet in cruising.. even with our not soo good sound insulation... haa...

Yes it is..the difference between Spectra5 and Forte is the engine tuning..Kia made the engine much more efficient after some research if I'm not mistaken

My target couple of months back was actually the i30..I'm used to driving my Wira Aero and I see the i30's site is approximately the same size..but alas..the price wasn't right =/

Lol..my Wira 1.3 have quite a bad sound insulation..anything better than my current car is definitely good xD

erm.. i drove my friend's civic 1.8 for long journey (approximate 300km) and i felt quite OK with the NVH.. avg 140-150 km/h and my friend sleep like a dead man. LOL
if forte is slightly better than civic.. i would consider forte is very good already... maybe diff. batch civic have different quality.. (u nv know)

My my..what do we have here?

Wait, did i read correctly? It say 5 speed tip tronic gear box plus we can buy another 4 air bag? All for the 1.6l model? If this is true, in someway, our spec sound a lot better than what Singapore is getting

Probably a typo. It says 4 speed auto in the spec list above while the paragraphs state 5 speed. Chances are it'll come with the 4 speed auto instead, as the 5 speed variant is for 2.4SX available in North America.

It also says CBU however judging from how Naza does their business it is likely to be CKD to keep the price low. Maybe this seller has some lobang to bring in limited stock of CBU?

hmmmm it could be CBU, cause i managed to talk to one of the salesperson from kianaza and he did tell me that the first batch will be CBU (limited units tho) just only they will list there as CKD

IIRC the reason why we dun have 5 speed auto is due to RHD... Kia only have this GB available for RHD... so not too likely... but do hope it comes better with that.. 5 speed GB. otherwise.. i see no reason Koup dun use one..
Airbags is very likely.. cos 2.0l already comes with 6 AB..

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Added on October 22, 2009, 9:59 amYes.. i would totally agree that Civic is as good or better... after all selling like 1.5x more expensive then Forte..(or the commission damn good liao ) and to be fair.. Forte > 140km/h noise is there... sweet spot being around 110km/h (v.quiet), but then NVH is a personal thing. but civic suspensions is definitely a tad better than forte... only not too sure if it comes with ESC etc.... (think so its there.. )
maybe must different civic comes with different sound insulation.? maybe we need a decibel meter to confirm this..heee...

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Added on October 22, 2009, 10:01 amWah.. even picture using singapore version leh.. u sure can trust this?
haaa....

This post has been edited by Burgerlim: Oct 22 2009, 10:01 AM

The Civic is a well-made car with good looks, good power, and good comfort; but the downside is the relatively smaller boot size and the hefty price tag associated with most Honda cars. The 09 facelift is subtle yet the octagonal rear lamps look much less attractive than the old round ones. I guess you get what you pay for - the resale value of the Civic is so much higher than other rivals, especially Korean models. Pay more first, but lose less later.

NVH wise, meh... how often does one speed up to >140kmh? After all, you're not supposed to Ada polis ler...

I'm cheap and practical..and this car (and hopefully price tag) fits me =P

If not..gotta settle back with our [sarcasm]OH SO LOVELY NATIONAL CAR[/sarcasm] xD