PITTSBURGH _ If you've noticed a newfound sophistication in the Kia Forte's design for 2019, that's no accident. The compact sedan, which is being built in Mexico and was designed in Europe, wasn't originally envisioned for the American market. How it ended up in the U.S. speaks to Kia's changing product direction.
Despite the popularity of crossover SUVs, Kia's top-selling model last year was a car, the compact Forte. Forte sales have risen 44 percent since 2013, impressive given that compact car sales in the U.S. declined last year.
Given its importance, the Forte's new design received far more attention than your typical new vehicle.
"The typical design process is about three-to-four design reviews; Forte has had eight," said Derrick Ty, product strategy manager for the new model, who flew to Seoul every two months over the past three years trying to find the perfect design. As the look of the new car developed, the company was leaning towards a design developed in Kia's U.S. styling studio. But Ty wasn't satisfied. At the time, the company was completing design work on the rear-wheel-drive Stinger, as well as the Ceed compact sedan, the Forte's European sibling.
"I was looking for was something that would create real presence, but the design was premium. After thinking about it, it didn't appear premium was working because of what was happened with the Kia brand," Ty said. "If we were to continue doing what we continued to do, we weren't going to be able to grow as a brand or even change perceptions."
Ty pushed for the sportier design Ceed created by Kia's European design studio. There would be an added benefit, since the Forte and Ceed would now carry a global look. But that decision came with a price tag.
"The European Ceed design had a higher cost in it. They said, 'it's too expensive; you can't afford it for this car.' But I said that if you're trying to change this brand's image shouldn't we use a sportier design that has a wider appeal, more of a new direction for Kia, like the Stinger. Based on that, we decided to go in that direction. Later they decided how they were going to cover the additional cost."
Ty's decision came from experience, having added a sportier Forte S trim in 2017, and an Optima S trim a year later. The new Optima model quickly grew to more than 30 percent of sales. Both models also attracted a greater number of millennial shoppers. This is what Ty used to convince management to opt for a sportier Forte.
And the results are apparent.
"It's not a Toyota Corolla," said James Bell, director of corporate communications at the Forte's first test drive last week. "We're not vanilla; we have Stinger blood in us now."
