SEOUL, Korea (AVING) -- <Visual News> Kia Motors' latest addition to its extensive line-up, the C-segment Forte (known as 'all-new Cerato' in some countries), was introduced to the local Chinese market during the Nanjing International Expo Centre at its official launching ceremony.
The local model will be sold under the name 'Fu-Rui-Di', which combines the Chinese characters for luck, auspiciousness and advance. The name alludes to a car designed for those who lead the road to success. Its pronunciation is also similar to the English name 'Forte.'
Incorporating localized elements into its vehicles is one of Kia's mandates to satisfy consumer tastes in the markets in which it serves. The model will be produced locally at one of two plants jointly owned by Kia Motors and Dongfeng Yueda in the Jiangsu province.
Local preferences have been reflected in the exterior and interior designs of the Forte, along with its convenience features. The exterior has been revamped to include newly designed large fog lamps; the head lamps, rear lamps and radiator grille have also adopted a more striking appearance. In the interior, chrome finishings were adopted to the center fascia and main switches. High-lustre metal grain has been generously used to satisfy Chinese consumer tastes for sophisticated styling.
The Forte is Kia's first model for the Chinese market to feature the eco-driving system that color-codes driving patterns to help drivers maximize their gas mileage. This is in response to the growing interest among drivers for fuel-efficient vehicles. The car's commercial appeal is further enhanced with the addition of a push start ignition smart key, SupervisionTM gauge cluster and auto cruise control. Information on the instrument cluster and audio screen are all displayed in Chinese, instead of English.
Forte is powered by a 1.6L Gamma engine or 2.0L Theta engine in China where the majority of C-segment vehicles are equipped with 1.6L or 1.8L engines. This makes the Forte the most powerful model among competitors, including the Volkswagen Jetta, Buick Excelle, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Tiida.