Kia Forte Pictures Emerge in Advance of Car's Official Debut

SEOUL, South Korea — With official pictures of the Kia Forte hitting Web sites around the globe, it appears that the Korean brand is veering off into an edgy direction with the brand's first serious Honda Civic fighter. The detailed first look at the Forte provides broad clues to what Kia's new corporate face looks like, as well as being the impressive debut model for design director Peter Schreyer, the former Audi design boss.

Although Kia remained silent about the release of the images, they appear to have been leaked intentionally by the automaker. The images originated at Clubforte, a Korean-language enthusiast site. The Forte will be the upcoming replacement for the Kia Spectra in the U.S., where is it anticipated that the Korean automaker will retain the Spectra name for the sake of consistency. The Spectra replacement is due to arrive in the U.S. as a 2009 model.

The Kia Forte, which draws heavily on the Kia Koup concept, will make its official debut in Korea in late August. From the raft of images, the Forte features a blend of the upscale and sporty, with chunky front fenders and a new corporate grille. The Forte will be powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine.

What this means to you: As small cars take center stage in the U.S., Kia readies what is likely to be a major player designed to steal market share from the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent