Kia K3 AKA Forte Gets A New Look
We recently published our video review of the 2021 Kia Forte 1.6 Turbo GT and called it one of the most underrated sedans available in our market today especially considering what it has to offer compared to its competition at a similar price point.
Now we’re hoping to see it more on our streets soon as Kia has just revealed the facelifted version of the K3 which is what the Forte is called in its home-market of South Korea. The current generation was first revealed in 2018.
The updated Kia K3 features several changes on the exterior and some inside. Up front, the K3 gets a new LED daytime running light design which features two 3-dash line patterns on the top and bottom portion of the headlight clusters which have also been redesigned with a slimmer look. This setup looks similar to what is seen on the EV6, the brand’s first fully-electric vehicle. Both headlights are also now connected to each other by the updated Tiger-Nose front grille which is now smaller in height but wider. The bumper has also been redesigned with a more angular and aggressive appearance, and features diagonally-shaped LED fog lights.
On the rear, the taillights still carry the same shape but with new clusters which have a dashed LED pattern just like the daytime running lights in front. The rear bumper also receives a more angular look with a portion made to look like the Tiger Nose front grille. The turn signals and reverse lights appear to still be on the bumper but are smaller than before.
While the exterior received some major redesigns, the interior still looks very familiar as to what is seen on the current model. Noticeable is the lack of a traditional parking brake lever which has been replaced by an electronic parking brake. Also new is the 10.25 inch touchscreen infotainment system and driver’ instrument cluster, and leather seat pattern which looks more premium.
There is no information yet as to what will be under the hood of the updated K3. The current Forte, at least in the Philippines, is powered by either a 1.6 L turbocharged petrol engine that makes 201 hp and 250 Nm of torque, or a 1.6 L naturally-aspirated petrol engine that makes 126 hp and 155 Nm of torque.
In terms of safety, the updated K3 gets a host of driver-assist features such as High Driving Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control, Forward Collision Assistance, Safe-Exit Warning, Drive Attention Alert, and many others.
Will this update make it to the Philippines and allow Kia to finally sell more units of the Forte locally? Hopefully yes. For now, the updated Kia K3/Forte will be initially launched in the company’s home-market of South Korea by this month.
