2022 Kia Forte facelift revealed ahead of official debut

Updated Sep 16, 2021 | Same topic: Car Sneak Peeks, Teasers, & Rumors

The Forte gets a more angular front end.

A few days before its official debut on April 20, 2021, Kia has released several images of the facelifted Forte. The debut will take place in the Forte’s home country of South Korea, where it is known as the K3.

Of note, this is the Forte’s first facelift since the debut of the third-generation model back in 2018. So, what’s new with this Kia sedan? 

The all-new 2022 Kia Forte Facelift

The facelifted Kia Forte gets a new set of daytime running lamps, which now appear as two parallel broken lines running across the length of each headlight cluster. Between the sharper headlight clusters is the new Kia logo, and slightly below that is that “tiger nose” grille, which is now slimmer. The said part was also stretched that it now connects the car’s headlight clusters together. You can get a specific comparison on specs and reviews on the new Kia Forte model here.

A picture of the 2022 Kia Forte facelift

The upcoming 2022 Kia Forte

Below the redesigned grille is the lower intake. On the facelift, this part appears more angular than the one on the previous design. On both ends of this lower intake are a pair of sharp-looking LED fog lamps, as well as a pair of angular side intakes that are surrounded by a gloss black finish.

Towards the sides, the preview of the facelifted Forte appears identical to the previous version. It even features the same wheels, though reports are indicating that upon release, the facelifted model might be riding on a new set.

The rear also gets notable design changes. There’s the new taillight design, which mirrors the look of the new headlight clusters. On the lower rear bumper, there’s also a faux vent, which also follows the shape and design of the front end’s tiger nose grille.

>>> Related: PH-spec Kia vehicles could eventually come from Malaysia

A picture of the rear of the 2022 Kia Forte while parked near a house

The Forte's rear end

Moving to the interior of the car, it appears that not much has changed in terms of arrangement. There are however, some new features like the new larger touchscreen, and the electronic parking brake. Also, the steering wheel now bears the new Kia logo as well.  

As for what’s under the facelifted Forte’s hood, the Korean-spec K3/Forte will be using the same 1.6-liter inline-4 gasoline engine. This mill can produce up to 120 horsepower and 154 Nm of torque, and is mated to an intelligent variable transmission.

Once released in other countries, the facelifted Forte might also use the same drivetrain that’s currently available in a specific market.

A picture of the facelifted Kia Forte's interior

Inside the facelifted Kia Forte

What do you think of the new design, and would you want to see the new Kia Forte in the Philippines?  

For the latest automotive news, keep reading here on Philkotse.com

Know more about Kia Forte 2024

Kia Forte

The 2023 Kia Forte Philippines is a four-door compact sedan that comes in a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. In South Korea, it is known as the K3, and the current version sold in the Philippines is the third-generation model that was initially released in 2018. 

Under the hood, the Philippine-spec Forte uses a naturally-aspirated 1.6-liter inline-4 gasoline engine, as well as a turbocharged version of the same engine. For the non-turbo version, it can make up to 126 horsepower and 155 Nm of torque. It then uses a six-speed automatic gearbox. 

The turbocharged variant meanwhile, can produce up to 201 horsepower and 265 Nm of torque. The said engine is then paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with paddle shifters. 

Size-wise, the forte is 4,640mm long, 1,800mm wide, and 1,450mm in height. It also has a ground clearance of 150mm, and a wheelbase length of 2,700mm. 

Available variants for the Forte in the Philippine market include the Forte LX priced at Php 1,095,000, the Forte EX priced at Php 1,195,000, and the Forte GT Turbo priced at Php 1,650,000. 

In the Philippine market, the Kia Forte competes agaisnt the likes of the Toyota Corolla Altis, Mazda3, Honda Civic, among others. 

₱ 1,095,000 - ₱ 1,650,000

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Cesar G.B. Miguel

Cesar G.B. Miguel

Author

Cesar Guiderone B. Miguel was born and raised in Iligan City, Lanao Del Norte. He graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in English degree from Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology. He previously worked as a freelance writer for various websites, as a member of the Iligan City Disaster Risk Reduction Management's training staff, and as a medical sales representative.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goridus.goridus

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