History and description of the car Kia Cerato

Kia Cerato (Cerato) is a compact family car (C-class), produced since 2003 by the South Korean automaker Kia Motors. In the United States it is called Kia Forte, and since 2008 this name has been used in almost all markets. And in South Korea it is called Kia K3. The car is the successor of the model Kia Spectra.

The engine (petrol or diesel) is located transversely at the front with a drive to the front wheels via a manual or automatic transmission. The body is offered as a "sedan" or "hatchback". A "coupe" body was produced in small batches.

The main competitors of Kia Forte in its class are cars Mazda3, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Lada Vesta, Nissan Almera, Renault Fluence, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Rapid.

First generation (LD, 2003—2009)

The first generation of the car began to be produced in South Korea in 2003 under the name "K3", and in 2004 it entered the world market under the names "Cerato" and "Forte". In the USA, the car immediately became very popular. The body was produced as a 5-door hatchback (length: 4350 mm, width: 1735 mm, height: 1470 mm) and a 4-door sedan (4500:1735:1470). Based on the universal Hyundai-Kia J3 platform. Three trim levels are available - Standard (LX), Comfort (EX) and the extended Sport trim. Assembly shops were located in China, Malaysia and South Korea.

The petrol engine lineup consisted of three models with a capacity of 1.6 litres (G4ED Alpha II, 100 hp) and 2.0 litres (G4GC Beta II, 143 hp), all 4-cylinder in-line engines. There were also three models of diesel engines with the following parameters: 1.5 litres (102 hp), 1.6 litres (115 hp, turbocharged) and 2.0 litres (112 hp), all 4-cylinder in-line engines with direct fuel injection Common Rail. There were two gearboxes: a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual.

In 2006, an updated version of the Cerato was introduced. The bumper and headlights lost their pronounced crease near the radiator grille, the trunk lid became more rounded, the rear lights were also changed. The 2006 model was tested for safety by Euro NCAP, the results you can see in the table.

Second generation (TD, 2009—2013)

The second generation of Cerato was released under the new name Forte at the end of 2008. In Brazil, Australia, Iran, Russia and Costa Rica the name remained the same, and in Colombia and Singapore the name Kia Cerato Forte is used. The car is not supplied to Europe, where this segment is handled by Kia Ceed. The body was produced as a 5-door hatchback (length: 4340 mm, width: 1775 mm, height: 1460 mm), 4-door sedan (4530:1775:1460) and a small batch of 2-door coupes "Forte Koup" (4480:1765:1400). The car is assembled on the same platform as the Hyundai Elantra - Hyundai-Kia J4, the only difference is the use of a torsion beam instead of a multi-link rear suspension.

The petrol engine lineup is represented by four models with the following characteristics: 1.6 liters (G4FC Gamma II, 126 hp), 1.6 liters (G4FJ Gamma, 201 hp, turbocharged), 2.0 liters (Theta II, 154 hp) and 2.4 liters (Theta II, 171 hp), all 4-cylinder in-line engines. There is only one diesel engine with a volume of 1.6 liters and a power of 126 hp, 4-cylinder in-line turbocharged. Gearboxes are represented by the following models - 5- and 6-speed manual or 4-, 5- and 6-speed automatic.

The 2010 Forte was safety tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and received the following results:

• Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars
• Frontal tests with partial overlap - Good
• Side Crash Test - Good
• Roof Strength Rating - Good
• Headrest Safety Rating - Good

Third generation (YD, 2013—2018)

The third generation Cerato (second Forte) was presented in July 2012 in the form of the Korean Kia K3, in October at the Santiago Motor Show (Chile) Cerato was shown, and the car entered the world market in 2013 as a 2014 model. The body became slightly longer and lower and was in the form of a 5-door hatchback (length: 4350 mm, width: 1780 mm, height: 1460 mm), 4-door sedan (4560:1780:1445) and a 2-door coupe (4530:1780:1420). There were four trim levels in total - LX, S, EX and SX. Standard equipment includes LED headlights and taillights.

The petrol engines were of the following parameters and volumes: 1.6 liters (Gamma MPI I4, 128 hp), 1.6 liters (Gamma GDI turbo I4, 201 hp), 1.8 liters (Nu MPI I4, 148 hp), 2.0 liters (Nu MPI I4, 159 hp) and 2.0 liters (Nu GDI I4, 173 hp). There were no diesel engines on this generation of Cerato. There were two gearboxes: a 6-speed automatic or a manual.

In 2017, a minor facelift was carried out, which affected the headlights and rear optics.

The 2018 Kia Forte was subjected to safety testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the results of which were as follows:

• Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars
• Frontal tests with small overlap - Good
• Frontal tests with partial overlap - Good
• Side Crash Test - Good
• Roof Strength Rating - Good
• Headrest Safety Rating - Good
• Collision avoidance systems rating - Excellent
• Headlight rating - Good
• Ease of use of child seat anchorage - Acceptable

Fourth Generation (BD, 2018–present)

...or the third generation of Kia Forte was shown to the public on January 15, 2018 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Sales will begin in the fall of 2018 as a 2019 model. There will be only three trim levels - the base "LX", the mid-range "S" and the maximum "EX".

Two petrol engines are offered: 1.6 liter (G Gamma II MPI I4, 123 hp) and 2.0 liter (Nu MPI I4, 147 hp). The transmission is a 6-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Kia Cerato IV 2018, back view

Kia Cerato IV 2018, interior

Kia Cerato IV 2018, seats