What’s in a name? Well, nothing, and everything, really. It can be a source of great cachet, or it can be somewhat of a millstone around the neck. Perception, of course, has everything to do with it, and usually it’s built through years and years of conditioning.
Now, we all have our little biases, and it’s no different for cars. Mention the term "Korean car" to most folk, and there'd have been a time when most wouldn’t have taken it seriously. Call it snobbery, call it disdain, maybe a mixture of both, but arguably, aside from the question marks of long-term ownership issues, the many offerings plying their wares looked uninspired and felt bare and devoid of character, emotionally and physically.
Granted, your average Japanese low to mid-end offering wasn’t exactly brimming with emotive character either, and some of them weren’t lookers, but at least things hung together that more cohesively. Clever packaging, and of course a reputation from years of offering bomb-proof reliability – well, maybe not just at the moment – plus that ultimate decider, resale value, meant it was always easy to decide for many.
But how far it has all come along, and the intent to get serious and offer products that not only tackle the competition, but even better them in many aspects, has never been more evident than now.
One only has to look at something like Naza Kia's Forte to see the aim, which is very much square and true. In all honesty, it’s probably not all quite there yet, but how close it is all getting indeed. Putting in place an European for a chief designer has done the trick where styling is concerned, but there’s more to the improved psyche than just good looks.
No, this one, well, is different. There’s plenty of thought that has gone into it, not just from a mechanical perspective, but from a psychological one as well. You can engineer things into any car, though you can either choose to do it with consideration and care, or simply place it in because they’re needed to sell the car.
In terms of equipment level, the Forte – which is available in 1.6 and 2.0l forms and in three variant types, namely the Forte 1.6 EX, 1.6 SX and 2.0 SX – has a fair bit in the bag.
The entry-level Forte 1.6 EX, rolling in at RM75,800, has a 1.6l twin-cam CVVT four pot that puts out 122bhp at 6,300rpm and 156Nm of torque at 4,200rpm. It’s the most bare-boned of the lot, with 15-inch steel wheels with 195/65 series tyres and a rather basic interior. You still get front fog lamps and ABS though, as well as dual front airbags and an electro-chromic rear view mirror to help reduce rear-view headlight glare.
The higher specified Forte 1.6 SX comes with all the above, and a whole lot more in the way of features for RM81,800; besides interior trim, where the seat fabric is of a higher quality, there are 17-inch alloys, Smart Key access and push-button ignition, and the air-conditioning system is a full climate control unit.
Additional driver aid enhancements to the basic ABS come in the form of electronic stability control, electronic brake distribution, cornering brake control, brake assist system and traction control system.
The SX also features a Supervision Cluster, which provides better visibility for safe manoeuvring with its red-tone lighting. Also, you get telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel, a Rear Parking Assist System (RPAS) and a windshield that's coated with an ultraviolet protection tint. It also gets an in-dash six CD changer audio system (a single-disc unit on the EX), though USB and iPod connectivity are offered as standard across the entire model range.
As for the Forte 2.0 SX, this one is equipped with a Theta II 2.0l twin-cam CVVT engine offering 154bhp at 6,200rpm and 194Nm of torque at 4,300rpm. Equipped with all features found on the 1.6 SX, the 2.0 SX adds on a premium leather package, six airbags and a Motor Driven Power Steering system (MDPS), which enhances steering stability, for the added price premium, which is RM93,800.
Six colour options are available for the vehicle, these being Clear White, Bright Silver, Metal Bronze, Titanium Silver, Spicy Red and Ebony Black.
All the models feature a four-speed auto transmission, which in use is serviceable and smooth enough, but throwing in a five-speed would have been spot on the dot. As it is, the second gear is rather long (to 110kmh if you floor the pedal), and has to work a fair bit in the overall scheme of things.
At low levels, the Gamma 1.6l block can feel a bit lazy, and with second being what it is, there’s not much in the way of immediacy. It also feels a bit zingy going into the upper rev range, but up the spectrum the engine feels peppy and hauls the car along quite willingly, and at speed it becomes evident that it’s not vague or soft in scope. In this regard, the EX certainly does better in comfort, but trades off handling and outright incision for this.
The SX is certainly the prime cut of the three, given its price (of course, you can never have too much power, which is where the 2.0l comes in, yes) and what it offers for that. Drivability levels with the 17s are actually quite high, though on the very initial test run the tyres were way over-pressured, leading to a skittish, jarring car that was not too comfortable with rough input.
At correct levels, the ride is quite compliant, with traces of being European, almost, and though there’s still a fair amount of body roll present, the Forte tracks well enough pitched hard into corners. The steering is quite fast too, and relatively decent in terms of accuracy levels, even if the response to input isn’t all that informative during turn-in.
Still, the overall appeal of the Forte isn’t just in the way it handles or drives, nor is it the level of kit it comes with. It’s the way it’s all threaded and presented, looks included, and how it all pieces together so organically to offer a car that you can feel good about being in all day, that makes for the allure.
This is a strong product, with arguably the wrong badge slapped on it, at least for now. Call this a Toyota or a Honda, and the waiting list would probably be years long. Still, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are reputations, but this is surely a great way to start signalling a fresh intent to get there.
