2014/15 Kia Forte hatchback
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This seems to be a little strange. The Forte is the US sedan version of the Euro Cee’d that just came out last year.
Same thing with the US Hyndai Elantra and the Euro i30.
The i30 becomes Elantra GT when sold in the US.
But it looks like, instead of selling us the Cee’d as the 5 door Forte, they are designing an all new car.
Which is indeed a hatch version of the US Forte.
Pretty complicated….And I am sure, quite expensive.
All this aside, this new hatchback already looks really good! Amazing how all of a sudden, everyone is selling hatchbacks in the US…
It would have been really hard to sell the Cee'd hatchback in the US since it looks virtually identical to the Hyundai Elantra GT, which IMO should have been based on the i30 wagon again instead of the 5-door to avoid this embarrassing overlap.
Kia was right to reskin the Cee'd since it is a few years old already.. perhaps the next-generation Cee'd will actually be our Forte hatch?
This makes me wonder if the Forte Koup will return as a 2-door notchback coupe again or as the new 3-door Kia ProCee'd previously rumored.
I can't wait to see it! I was a bit disappointed with the Elantra GT. Hopefully we get the 171 hp engine standard.
It is quite expensive to sell multiple body styles of the same platform…but then again you have the Hyundai i40 in Europe in stead of the Sonata. They are taking the old school local market approach while everyone else is going "global."
FusioptimaSX
I sure hope the "gaping mouth" fad is nearing the end of its life cycle.
Actually, Kia hasn't gone that route (though sibling Hyundai has, and in a big way).
But so many other car companies have jumped on the bandwagon started years ago now by Audi.
Enough already!! It's REALLY UGLY.
Nothing new here, Kia made a hatch version of the previous Forte too. kicar.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/2012-Forte-5-Door-Sedan.jpg
It shares platform with the Cee'd but the Forte is not just the sedan version, it has always been it's own distinct product line.