As we reported back in April, the updated 2022 version of the Kia Forte model (named the K3 in Korea or Cerato in other markets including Australia) debuted in its home country of Korea. Several days after, it was the facelifted Kia Forte GT hatchback that made its premiere.
The all-new 2022 Kia Forte GT for the Australian market
Fast forward to the present, the Korean carmaker has now pulled the covers off the Forte/Cerato GT variant for the Australian market. The Australian launch of the 2022 Forte GT comes with better photos, showing the hatchback’s true form in the metal.
Like the regular Forte, the new Forte GT bears a lot of visual improvements. It features a new grille, a pair of new headlamps, and also the new Kia logo. Apart from those, the GT variant also has a different set of 18-inch alloy wheels. There's also the fact that the refreshed Forte GT variant, at least in the Australian market, comes in the form of a five-door hatchback instead of the five-door sedan form the non-GT Forte assumes.
The rear looks as good as the front-end
As for its interior, it looks similar to the regular 2022 Kia Forte. It gets a whole host of creature comforts including ventilated and heated seats, automatic climate control, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It also comes standard with a new sliding and tilting sunroof, which is absent on other Forte variants.
It gets the same neatly arranged interior as the non-GT Forte variants
Moving on to mechanical bits, the refreshed Forte GT uses the same 1.6-liter gasoline engine that powers the currently available Philippine-spec Kia Forte GT versions. It can still make up to 201 horsepower and 265 Nm of torque, which are sent to the front wheels. The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters.
Kia confirmed that the GT did get some changes to its suspension system. Specifically, the Korean automaker said that it was updated to provide more ride comfort and better handling.
The Forte GT from the side
For now, Kia Philippines is yet to announce whether the facelifted 2022 Kia Forte and/or Forte GT will arrive on Philippine shores. As mentioned earlier, the facelifted Forte GT was already launched in Australia, and it has a price of AUD 36,990, or around Php 1,370,000 in the current exchange rate. If it did arrive on our shores, we can expect that price to go up a bit since we have to take into account import taxes and what not.
For the latest car news, keep reading here on Philkotse.com.
Know more about Kia Forte 2024
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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