Kia Reveals Next Global Cerato Sedan; Previews the New Forte Coming Here

July 30, 2012 at 2:34pm by Alexander Stoklosa

Kia recently released several sketches of the 2014 Cerato sedan—a car you know here in the U.S. as the compact Forte—and this past weekend the Korean automaker finally revealed the real deal. Even though the company provided only three images of the new Cerato, which also goes by the name “K3″ in Korea, the photos clearly show the four-door is handsome. Kia also released some technical details about the new Forte, but let’s take a moment first to drink in Kia’s latest successful design.

According to Kia, the next Forte/K3/Cerato will be longer, lower, and wider, plus will boast a stretched wheelbase. While we can’t speak to the first three dimensional increases, the longer wheelbase certainly is apparent; the acre of space between the wheels gives the sedan proportions similar to that of the Hyundai Elantra. Overall, the Forte is a handsome piece, and its design incorporates elements from Kia’s larger Optima and the smaller, subcompact Rio to good effect.

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The new compact sedan will go on sale in other markets early next year, but it’s not clear yet when the Forte-badged version will reach our shores. Look for the 2014 Forte to appear at an auto show soon, likely at L.A. this fall.