Finally found time to test drive the 2.0L Cerato SLi (i.e. 2.0L Forte SX) today. Here are some of my findings which hopefully will be useful to those who are interested in this car. I shall be comparing this car to an 1.8L VTi Civic which I've been driving for a short while, and an 1.8L Tiida/Latio which I've been using frequently for the past couple of years. Bear in mind this is merely a short 20 minute test drive which unfortunately does not fully represent the car in its glory nor does it exposes all the shortcomings.

Highlights:
1. As Peter Schryer puts it... "Sporty, sporty, very sporty." Looks may be subjective, but there's no denying that the Forte has one of the most sleek designs in its class. For me the 3's wide grin is a turn-off, the Lancer still can't shake the ah beng-look, the Holden/Chevrolet Cruze's side profile and rear end don't match the aggressive front fascia, while the Elantra looks totally out of date. The i30's fairly conservative clean lines look great but is beginning to show its age. Only the radical Civic looks more funky, but the recent facelift looks awkward with the octagonal rear lamps replacing the old round ones. In real life it looks nothing like the USDM Civic despite the many comments on automobile blogs and websites, which is actually a good thing.

2. The interior materials are pretty decent. I won't say it's better than its Japanese rivals, but it is at least on par with them. The central console tends to look dated in pictures but in real life they are neat and tidy. It's not as fancy as the 3's and it surely isn't anything like the spaceage Civic's, but the lines all flow beautifully, with sturdy knobs and buttons that are comfortable to use. The bright crimson glow around the speedometer is a nice touch while the red lighting for the central console display spice up the sportiness theme of the car. Gunmetal plastic bits add even more points compared to the earlier light aluminium trim.

3. Engine noise is one of the best in its class. I could hardly hear any engine roar in automatic mode during accelerations, and the noise only started to creep in in tiptronic mode at high revs (which is kinda expected anyway). Acceleration wise it's obviously more polished than the 1.8L Latio with smooth gear changes, and it's probably on par with the Civic's 1.8 VTEC or maybe even slightly better; but I predict the 2.0 Civic Sport will probably have the upper hand.

4. The steering is not as light as expected/reported in certain reviews. In fact it provided more feel than a Corolla or the anaesthetic Latio, but I have to say it's no Civic. Good enough yes, outstanding probably not.

5. I only tested the automatic, therefore I am unsure of the overresponsive throttle issue that some reviewers have with the manual version. The throttle sensitivity of the Forte matches the Civic's, and the good thing is that it doesn't jerk as much as the Latio does. I suppose different cars have a different "feel" and you just gotta find that sweet spot and control your right foot.

6. It has every bloody thing under the sun in the top range SLi trim at a fairly cheap price compared to the Japs... All the electronic stability/traction control shit, 6 air bags, full size spare, USB/AUX/iPod, reverse sensors, cruise control and steering mounted controls; with the exception of alarms but that's a cliche of ALL car dealers in Australia.

7. Less frequent servicing intervals + longer warranty = potentially less maintenance costs (read POTENTIALLY)... this probably varies from country to country but it certainly is something worth mentioning.

8. Cavernous boot. Civic's tiny hatch-like boot gets totally owned here. In addition, interior space for passengers is pretty standard for a C-segment although the Latio's spaciousness is more outstanding as the Nissan is strictly speaking not a C-segment contender. Overall dimension wise, it's good enough but probably not its best forte.

Downsides:
1. I can't remember which automative website I read this from, but there was this quote which states that "sporty" is like "sexy" - It looks that way but you ain't getting any of it. And sadly it's true for the Forte. At the end of the day it's still a typical sedan which has almost nothing to do with performance rides, regardless of how Kia is currently marketing the Forte. On paper the Forte might have the most powerful engine amongst its rivals but I must honestly say the difference is minimally noticeable for usual urban driving, if any at all.

2. The bumpy ride. Not sure whether it's the rear torsion beam or the Kumho tyres with 17" rims, the Forte tends to shudder more than the Civic on less-than-perfect road conditions. The suspension is stiffer than the Tiida which allows sharper cornering with much lesser body roll, but again it's no Civic.

3. The length of the rear seat cushions might be a little too short for some people, hence poorer thigh support. I didn't sit in the back though, it was reported by my family members who checked it out.

4. The lack of a 5th gear. The tacho showed slightly over 2K rpm (probably around 2-2.2) at 100km/h, which is more or less the same as the Civic and Latio but bear in mind that the latter duo are 1.8L models. The engine doesn't struggle too much at 4th gear but in this segment a 5 speed auto should already be a standard.

5. The 4 speed auto + 17" wheels are likely to jack up the FC, but by how much I'm not particularly sure. Another issue that pops up here with the large sporty wheels are the additional costs when changing tyres. Larger rims = larger tyres = larger hole in your pocket.

6. I would have liked a meatier, smaller-diameter wheel like the Civic's, but I'm merely being picky here.

7. The top range SLi's price is not really dirt cheap either. The price that I was quoted reached AUD27+K (negotiable of course but probably can't slash too much) which is definitely cheaper than mid to top range Japanese rivals like 3, Corolla, and Civic; but it's still a significant amount. The cheaper base model is more of a bargain but it's so bare metal that you'll feel deprived.

8. Last but not least, the negative perceptions towards Korean marques. I've already gotten heavy flak from many people for even considering a Kia, and despite the fact that I'll be the one driving it and not them, it still stings.

Conclusion:
A great step for Korean cars, but it's like what the car mags and websites said - It's still less refined than the Japanese rivals in particularly Hondas. Despite the plus points there are still times when I feel that the Forte's main attraction over the 3/Civic is its value for money rather than comfort or performance. There's also one more thing to consider - the mid range Lancer VR is priced closely to the Forte and offers almost similar trim and accessories.

Will I get this? Maybe, in fact I absolutely like it and it would be lovely to own something which is still fairly uncommon and therefore stand out more on the roads. I'll still be checking out other models such as yes, the Civic, and also the i30 and see who gives me a package that I can't refuse.

This post has been edited by StarGhazzer: Dec 7 2009, 09:32 PM

Hm... maybe my test drive unit had incorrect tyre pressures and hence the harsh ride.

Anyway, I checked out the Hyundai 2.0L Hyundai i30 today with another test drive. Here are my findings:

1. The Hyundai's 2.0 BetaII is absolutely no match for the Forte's newer ThetaII. It sounds noiser, strain more under pressure, and doesn't seem as refined as its Kia's cousin. At 100km/h the tacho reads 2.5K rpm compared to the Forte's 2.2K. And of course, it sounds much more coarse while the Forte happily cruises along at that speed.

2. The 4 speed automatic lacks a tiptronic mode. Fortunately the throttle is responsive enough to your right foot when a downshift is required for overtaking or rapid acceleration but who wouldn't like some freedom in gear selection?

3. The i30's rear multilink supsension doesn't really have much advantage over the Forte's torsion beam. Both cars shake and shudder similarly on uneven roads.

4. The steering wheel is smaller and meatier, just like the Civic's

5. Again I only sat in the driver's seat, but my family members claim that the rear seats provide more support than the Forte's. The driving position is pretty good although the cockpit feels smaller and less grandeur than the Forte. Boot capacity is incomparable because this is a hatch while the Forte is a sedan.

6. Interior materials are of decent quality, although the climate control knob and the radio switches are a bit flimsy compared to the Forte's which feel more solid and upmarket.

7. The USB/AUX jack is hidden in the central armrest storage area, therefore it's a good hiding place for your gadgets. Kia, take note.

Conclusion?
At a similar price to the Forte, the i30's main selling point over the Japs is again bang for buck rather than comfort or performance. Put it beside the Forte and the i30 unfortunately shows its age, although it must be emphasised that the i30 is still a great option to consider. I would love to say yes to the i30 (the enthusiastic salesperson who was hellbent on selling me the car and allowed crazy haggling did help a lot), but at the end of the day I must say the Forte is the better choice between the two due to a more powerful but quieter engine, and better looking interior design and materials.

This post has been edited by StarGhazzer: Dec 8 2009, 07:45 PM

The engine is indeed one of the Forte's forte

It's very quiet and accelerates smoothly like the Civic, but as mentioned before the 4 speed auto may compromise high speed cruising. At 100kmh the Forte revs around 2.1-2.2K rpm while the 1.8L Civic does 1.9K. The i30 on the other hand is almost 2.5K rpm which is similar to an 1.8L Latio.

I have no experience with the new Honda City, but the old Jazz's 7 speed semi-auto (which I truly enjoy) pales in comparison to the Forte.

Apart from the gearbox and rear torsion beam suspension, the Forte has achieved everything that the Civic is capable of. And at an unbeatable price too.

Ugh at the rims. And I thought the Australian 15" steel wheel plates are ugly.


Torsion Beam.

On paper it may sound like an inferior option compared to multilink suspensions which many other C-segment rivals such as the 3, Lancer, and Cruze use, but it's actually not too bad. The i30 also has a multilink at the back but during my test drive it actually wobbles and rolls more than the Forte; which means that it's not the technology that is being used that's a factor, it's more of the implementation.

This post has been edited by StarGhazzer: Dec 12 2009, 10:53 AM

I believe you mean Gamma, rather than GEMA. The GEMA refers to the engine collaboration project between Chrysler, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai; where the ThetaII is under.

MILF... NSFW I suppose, drive that to work and your colleagues will think you're sick.

Agreed. The large rims compromises the comfort of the ride and allows more jolts into the cabin, but during my test drive I found that the noise level isn't any more than a Civic. Kia has done wonders with the noise reduction in the Forte.

My personal experience with large rims was in a CLK, but one can't compare a Mercedes to a Kia

There's no need to feel proud at all, since the Forte is technically a C-segment. The only reason people are comparing it to Citys and Vioses is because of the price tag.

Initially it was surprising that Naza seems to "lower" the segment of the Forte in Malaysian markets, but now it makes absolute sense. People who are able to afford Civics will probably still scoff at Korean makes without even thinking, so there's no point for Naza to aim for the C-segment market. What they did was to offer it at a cheaper price so that people who are considering B segments would realise that the Forte is a much better choice, which would eventually alter the mindset of worshipping H&T.

Naza is doing what Hyundai has done in Australia with the i30. Cheaper, but on par if not better quality cars.

Latio has B segment dimensions but a C segment interior capacity. Over here in Australia there's no C segment for Nissan (ie Slyphy), it jumps straight from Latio (Tiida) to the Cefiro (Maxima).

This post has been edited by StarGhazzer: Dec 14 2009, 01:14 PM

I probably shouldn't make a generalised statement, but it's undeniable that most people are still willing to fork out more money for Japanese makes even though there are cheaper Koreans available due to previous negative perceptions.

Based on my test drive I found that the 2.0L Forte is capable of whatever the 1.8L Civic can (just need to bear with the 4 speed auto), but I must say I have no experience with a 2.0L Civic. Hopefully the near 40K price difference would be a strong enough factor to sway people's decisions. Who knows Honda might just fight back with price cuts off the Civic, and maybe Mazda would like to join in the fun too; which in the end the winners would be us consumers.

Naza's strategy is clear for now... Using the 1.6L to eat into City/Vios market and revitalising Kia's reputation, and once it gets a foothold it'll go full frontal with the 2.0L and bring the fight to the C-segment best sellers.

Erm... 2.0L Theta II is a newer engine under the GEMA collaboration project, while "Gamma" is the old Spectra engine where the 1.6L version is used in SEA markets.

I did another test drive today with a different dealer (who seemed more keen to sell the car), and this time I did check out the passenger and rear seats. The rear bench isn't as short as expected and still provides ample thigh support unless you're over 6 foot tall; although with the driver seat in my preferred position the knee room of the right rear seat isn't as good as say the Nissan Latio. The cushions were generally more spongy than the Japanese rivals too; I personally prefer firmer seats although some people may like it softer.

This time the 17" rims don't seem to bother me as much as my first experience. Maybe it's different tyre pressure settings, or maybe I'm just getting used to it. The tip-tronic shifts much more smoothly compared to our old family Picasso, although the gear ratio settings will probably see you stuck around 2nd gear most of the time in city traffic conditions.

Now I gotta find funding

This post has been edited by StarGhazzer: Dec 15 2009, 11:42 AM

1.6 SX?

Maybe it's the angle and the lighting but the Schreyer grill looks like it's not chrome

More pics please