NAZA FORTE

VARIANT
1.6-litre SX
1.6-litre EX
2.0SX

STARTING PRICE 
RM76,800

 NEWS
KUALA LUMPUR: It is not often that a car marks an important milestone in a brand’s journey but the Kia Forte is one such car. The fresh design, confident lines, improved quality and exciting driving dynamics all point to a company reborn to take on the world.
Launched yesterday (25 November 2009) at a glittering ceremony at the Pavilion shopping centre in Bukit Bintang, the Forte certainly made an impact with those present.

Naza Group chairman S.M. Nasaruddin S.M. Nasimuddin said: "The Forte is a complete package for those who want style, functionality, technology and safety. Its low wedge shaped design also enhances the performance of the car with increased fuel efficiency. The Forte is capable of delivering its worth and will be a frontrunner in its league."

Naza Kia is optimistic of achieving 6,000 unit sales in 2010, taking 11 per cent of the non-national B and C segments. The Forte will contribute up to"23 per cent of Naza Kia's forecast sale of 26,000 units". In the last year, when most other car companies were struggling to shore up their fast declining sales, Kia and Korean counterpart Hyundai racked up impressive sales and now it's the fifth largest carmaker in the world.

The Kia Forte is a key element of its future strategy, the C-segment family sedan is its global breadand- butter car, just as the Civic is to Honda and the Corolla is to Toyota, and the Korean carmaker knows that it cannot fail in this important market.

Designed by Peter Schreyer, Kia’s new head of design, the Forte has what it takes to become a truly desirable car — good looks.

Naza Kia Sdn Bhd, the local assembler and distributor of Kia products in Malaysia, is confident it can forge a new image for the brand based on the strong selling points of the Forte.

Naza Kia is aiming the Forte at buyers of Japanese C-segment market.

"While Hyundai does have a car in the same class (Hyundai i30), we do not feel that they are the direct
competitor. We want to go after buyers of Japanese cars," says Nicholas Gomez of Naza Kia's senior manager corporate communications.

That intention is made clear by the high level specifications set for the Malaysian market. Even in the 1.6-litre SX variant, the Forte comes fully fortified with a long list of gadgets — which include antilock brakes and vehicle stability  programme, twin airbags, automatic climate control, six CD in-dash changer and keyless entry.

The 1.6SX also has a red start button, a major technological innovation but it is a feature commonly found in cars that battle in several price classes higher than the RM81,800 that Naza Kia is asking.
According to the company, they ticked nearly all the options box when specifying the car and it includes a premium sound system with six speakers and a trip computer that calculates instantaneous and average fuel consumption as well as the distance to refuel.

Buyers will also appreciate the noticeable leap in quality, both in terms of materials and build quality.
Body panel gaps are consistent and smaller than before, giving the car an overall more expensive look.
The Forte starts at RM76,800 for the 1.6-litre EX and tops at RM93,800 for the 2.0SX.
Those choosing the 2.0SX will enjoy class leading safety equipment which includes a six-airbag active safety system. This is a feature that is hard to find even if you are paying close to RM200,000.

source : malaymail