GEORGE TOWN: Naza Kia Sdn Bhd is confident of capturing 11% of the B and C segments of the Japanese sedan market with the introduction of the all-new Forte.

B-segment cars are subcompact cars with three, four or five doors and are designed to seat four passengers comfortably while C-segment cars are compact or small family cars with the longest hatchbacks and saloons and estate cars with room for five adults.

Naza Kia corporate communications and principal liaison senior manger Nicholas Gomez said the Forte will dispel the perception of the general public about Kia with high-technology features that are introduced with the new model.

“Previously, Kia cars were associated with other lower segments of cars in the country but the new Forte is set to change that. It has been created to challenge cars like the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Mazda 3 and Ford Focus and other cars in the same ultra-competitive C-segment,” Gomez said during a media familiarisation of the new model and test drive here recently.

Boasting several firsts for the C-segment including the biggest trunk, better leg room, shoulder room and other features that are on par or better than others within the segment, the Forte also has a start-stop engine and various other gadgets.

The Forte is said to have a crucial role in the corporation’s future, including replacing the popular current models of Spectra or Cerato in some markets.

The new Forte is designed by Kia Motors designers and engineers with the focus on eight key areas — dynamic styling, class-leading performance, increased fuel economy, improved ride/handling balance, greater cabin comfort, enhanced overall safety, new technologies and maintained functionality.

The Forte four-door sedan will be joined later by a two-door coupe model.

“The quality of Kia cars, when we first started 10 years ago, has improved and as of 2003, our quality has reached the industry average. Our production standards are on par with top cars from Japan and others within the same segment,” Gomez said at the press briefing.

He said the market for the C-segment of cars in the Asia-Pacific region was 639,000 and in Malaysia, the forecast for 2009 for Japanese cars in the C-segment was 14,308 while the total market for the B and C segments was 55,000 of which Kia was aiming to take up to 11%.

Gomez said that the new Forte, styled under the direction of Kia’s chief design officer Peter Schreyer, also features the new family grille which will be a permanent feature for all new models.

The Forte is available globally with a choice of two-litre and 1.6-litre engines, with manual or automatic transmission, in a selection of six exterior colours of white, ebony black and metallic colours of bright silver, metal bronze, titanium silver and spicy red, a unique SX grade colour.

For the Malaysian market, the Forte 1.6 EX, 1.6 SX and 2.0 SX models are manufactured at the Naza Automotive Manufacturing Sdn Bhd plant in Gurun, Kedah.

The Forte 1.6 EX will be sold at RM75,800, 1.6 SX at RM81,800 and the 2.0 SX at RM93,800.

This article appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, November 23, 2009.