Passenger Ejected from Kia Cerato Roll Over Crash Lives Another Day

It has been said over and over again that seat belts are there for your own safety and should be worn by all passengers at all times, but some people just don't seem to get it.

In yet another display of what can happen when a driver or a passenger neglects to wear their seatbelt, a woman sitting unbuckled at the back seat of a Kia Cerato that drifted (it seems the driver fell asleep or was not paying attention to the road) and crashed into the side walk before turning over, was thrown out the rear window.

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Kia Blows the Box Open on New 2014 Forte / K3 / Cerato Compact Sedan [Photos & Videos]

As soon as Kia placed the new K3 compact sedan at a mall in its home market of South Korea, we knew it was only a matter of time before the automaker would blow the covers or in this case, the box off the compact sedan model.

The first thing you need to know about the K3 is that it is a global model with the alphanumeric moniker used only in Korea where it goes on sale this fall.

In the first quarter of 2013, the sedan will begin arriving in North American dealerships as the 2014 Forte and in other markets as the new Cerato, with coupe and hatchback variants to follow in due time. We still do not know if Kia has plans to sell the compact saloon model in Europe.

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Real Life Pictures of the New 2014 Kia Forte / Cerato / K3 Sedan

After the release of two teaser sketches on Monday, Kia dropped the first real-life images of its upcoming compact sedan that will be sold under a trio of different names around the world.

In North America, it will be offered as the 2014 Forte, while in Australia, Brazil and other overseas markets as the new Cerato, and in Kia's home market of South Korea, as the K3 alongside the K5 (Optima), K7 (Cadenza) and K9 (Quoris)

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Kia Recalling Spectra Models Over Fears that the Fuel Tank May…Fall Off

South Korea’s Kia Motors said Friday it will recall certain Spectra LD vehicles from the 2004-2007 model year in the United States over a corrosion issue that could cause the fuel tank to fall from the car. The recall covers 58,322 Kia Spectra models build from November 7, 2003, through March 6, 2007, and sold or currently registered in states that rely heavily on road salt to melt ice in the winter. Read more »

U.S. Spec 2010 Kia Forte Sedan Introduced in Chicago: 37 High-Res Photos

Following its introduction in the Korean market last August, Kia unveiled the U.S. spec Forte at the at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show. Due to go on sale in the States in late spring or early summer of 2009, the Forte sedan will replace the (very) forgettable Spectra in Kia's North American lineup. Available in three trim levels, the Forte LX and EX are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 156HP and 144 pound-feet of torque, while the range-topping SX features an upgraded 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine delivering an output of 173HP.

The Forte LX and EX 2.0 are offered with two transmission options, a standard five-speed manual transmission or an optional electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. The more powerful SX 2.4 comes with a standard six-speed manual transmission and an optional five-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic.

While pricing and detailed information on the standard equipment will be announced closer to the launch date, Kia said that all Forte sedans will come with a standard four speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system outfitted with SIRIUS Satellite Radio capabilities with three months complimentary service, an auxiliary audio input jack and USB port for connecting personal MP3 players and Bluetooth connectivity. The EX and SX packages also add a standard six speaker surround audio system and steering wheel controls.

In terms of safety features, Kia has equipped all Forte sedans with two-stage airbags, front seat-mounted and side curtain airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with an antilock brake system (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC) and traction control (TCS), and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) as standard.

2010 Kia Forte - Spectra Coupe Prototype Spied for the First Time

Thanks to the crew over at "Kia-World", we have the first spy shot of the 2010 Kia Forte / Spectra / Cerato Coupe that is scheduled to hit U.S. showrooms sometime in the third quarter of 2009, according to an earlier statement made by Lee Hyun-soon, president of Hyundai-Kia Motors' R&D division. The Kia Forte Sedan based coupe model is essentially the production version of the Kia KOUP Concept that broke cover at the 2008 New York Auto Show. From what we can tell by the camouflaged prototype, the production model's styling looks like it will remain close to the concept.

Power is expected to come from a variety of 4-cylinder engines. Depending on the market, the new model will be available with 1.6- and 2.0-liter gasoline engines as well as a 128 HP 1.6-liter turbo diesel and a top-of the line turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline unit producing somewhere north of 200HP for the sportiest version of the front-wheel-drive Coupe.

Source: Kia-World , Via: Worldcarfans

New Kia Cerato Makes Australian Debut in Sydney

Kia chose the 2008 Sydney Motor Show that runs from October 9 to 19 to perform the Australian premier of its new Forte sedan (see pictures here) that will be called Cerato in the land Down-Under. Due for release in the Australian market in early 2009, the Cerato will be offered with a new 2.0-litre gasoline engine. Kia is still working on the final specification and pricing for the Australian model but the Korean automaker's officials claim that the Cerato will feature a great value-for-money price. -Continued