Kia · 2008–2024

Kia Forte

The Kia Forte (Korean: 기아 포르테), known as the K3 in Asia, the Forte K3 or Shuma in China, and the Cerato in South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Russia, is a compact car manufactured by South Korean automaker Kia, produced from 2008 to 2024, replacing the Kia Spectra. Throughout its production, the Forte was available in two-door coupe, four-door sedan, and five-door hatchback body styles. It was not sold in Europe, where the similarly sized Kia Ceed was offered instead, except in Russia and Ukraine, where both the Ceed and Forte were sold concurrently. In some markets, such as Korea, Australia and Brazil, the Forte is marketed as Kia Cerato, replacing its predecessor of the same name. In Colombia and Singapore, the name Cerato Forte was used for the second generation, while Naza Automotive Manufacturing of Malaysia has assembled the vehicle since 2009, selling it there under the name Naza Forte. Production of the Forte ended in 2024, and it was replaced by the K4, as Kia realigned their passenger car nomenclature, with the K3 name being transferred to a subcompact car replacing the Kia Rio.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Kia Cerato

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Specifications

name

Kia Forte

Manufacturer

Kia

aka

Kia Cerato, Kia K3 (South Korea and China)

Production

2008–2024

Class

Compact car (C)

Layout

Front-engine, front-wheel-drive

Related

Kia Ceed, Hyundai Avante/Elantra

Predecessor

Kia Cerato (2003–2008), Kia Spectra

Successor

Kia K4

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

US EPA fuel-economy records

US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q489621CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_ForteCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1377596728 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kia_Cerato_1.6_EX_2023_(53135607211).jpgCC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo: RL GNZLZ from Chile · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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