USA - 2017 Kia Forte adds 2.0-litre engine, plus an updated 6-speed automatic, as well as Driver Assistance Systems

• 2017 Forte adds 2.0-liter engine, plus updated six-speed automatic transmission

• Advanced driver assistance systems including Autonomous Emergency Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Forward Collision Warning, and Dynamic Bending Light³ are newly available

• Sporty S trim pumps up Forte’s sport factor with exclusive interior and features

Following best-ever sales in 2015, the Forte family of compact cars is poised for even more success, as the refreshed 2017 Forte enters the new model year with several refinements. 

Along with fresh exterior styling, the 2017 Forte gains a new base engine that’s been engineered for improved fuel economy⁴ and performance, plus a host of advanced convenience and driver-assistance features.

Visual enhancements to the 2017 Forte add even more sophistication to its European sport-sedan styling. Up front, the Forte dons a new front bumper and “tiger nose” grille that has been extended to connect with newly designed headlights, which are available with Xenon HID lights. 

This new take on the front fascia gives the Forte a more fluid appearance, and customers will have the choice of two designs, one highlighting the Forte’s sophisticated personality and one that’s more aggressive and sporty. Completing the exterior redesign are newly designed taillights, with optional LEDs.

Now available in three trims, a new sporty S trim sits in between the entry-level LX trim and the top-trim EX model.  The new S trim amps up the Forte’s dynamic demeanor by adding a sport-tuned suspension, 16-inch alloy wheels, LED positioning lights, rear spoiler, and a chrome exhaust tip.  

For 2017, the EX trim remains the top of the range, and with that, comes standard with premium exterior features such as LED taillights, Smart Key with perimeter approach lighting and front door pocket lighting, and new 17-inch alloy wheels.  

Like its bigger Optima sibling, the Forte is available with Dynamic Bending Light technology, which uses steering wheel inputs to angle the light around corners and bends.

Inside, LX and S trims get upgraded cloth materials for the seats, with the S trim featuring exclusive black cloth seats with white contrasting stitching, as well as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.  

The EX now comes standard with leather seats with heated front seats, dual-zone full automatic temperature control, rear vents, and a push-button start with Smart Key. 

As for infotainment, both the S and EX trims come standard with UVO3⁵ telematics, which is displayed on a 7-inch touch screen display and includes a suite of core smartphone functions via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay^TM (late availability).  

Both platforms elevate the Forte’s in-vehicle connectivity by allowing drivers to conveniently use the touchscreen for smartphone functions like sending text messages, streaming music, and looking up driving directions.

Depending on trim, the Forte also comes with Kia’s latest navigation system and Drive Mode System, which allows the driver to change the driving experience based on their preference: Normal, Eco, or Sport. 

Further solidifying the Forte’s value proposition is its long list of available advanced driver assistance systems, which includes Autonomous Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Detection, and Rear-Cross Traffic Alert³.

Replacing last year’s 1.8-liter inline-4 cylinder engine is a standard 2.0-liter Atkinson I-4 that makes 147 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 132 lb-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm. The new base engine is paired with a six-speed manual transmission, though a second-generation six-speed automatic transmission is available. 

Delivering improved fuel economy and smoother shifting, the newly engineered six-speed automatic is also matched to the tried-and-true 2.0-liter GDI I-4, which produces 164 hp at 6,200 rpm and 151 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm.

The Forte sedan will be produced at Kia’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico, making it the first vehicle to be built at the automaker’s second North American plant.

* The Sorento and Optima GDI (EX, SX & Limited and certain LX Trims only) are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts

1 Android™ is a trademark of Google, Inc.

2 Late Availability.  Apple® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. 

3 These features are not substitutes for safe driving, and may not detect all objects surrounding vehicle. Always drive safely and use caution.

4 Actual mileage will vary with options, driving conditions, driving habits and your vehicle’s condition. EPA-est. MPG by trim:  LX M/T 25 city/34 h.way/28 comb., LX and S A/T 29/city/38 h.way/32 comb., SX A/T 25 city/33 h.way/28 comb.

5 Distracted driving can result in a loss of vehicle control. Never use a handheld device or vehicle system that takes your focus away from safe vehicle operation. Navigation is for information purposes only, and Kia does not make any warranties about the accuracy of the information.

** K900 available in select trims and in select markets with limited availability. 

*** Soul EV in select markets with limited availability.

Volvo cars new global compact car range to be built on innovative flexible architecture.

Volvo Cars is to extend its range of compact cars into new segments on its highly-innovative Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), a smaller but equally advanced version of Volvo’s acclaimed Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). The company’s first car on CMA is expected to be launched in 2017.

CMA’s introduction in 2017 means that all future Volvo cars will be built on just two fully scalable and wholly modular vehicle architectures.

The simultaneous development of SPA and CMA has formed the cornerstone of Volvo’s product renewal and growth strategy, which involves the replacement of every single car in its line-up in the next four years and an annual sales volume of up 800,000 cars. This process started with the launch of the XC90 and will continue shortly with the launch of the new S90 premium sedan.

CMA allows Volvo Cars to offer customers of compact cars the same type of premium engineering benefits as owners of its larger cars built on SPA. Shared technology between SPA and CMA will include powertrains (both conventional and new plug-in hybrid variants) and the infotainment, climate and data network and safety systems taking the Swedish car maker ever closer to its vision of no deaths or injuries in its new cars by 2020.

“The flexibility of CMA liberates Volvo’s engineers and designers, allowing them to devise and introduce a wide range of new and alluring features whilst at the same time improving drivability, offering world-class safety features and connected car technologies,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Volvo Car Group.

CMA will also change the way Volvo Cars builds its products in the future by allowing a wide range of cars, powertrains, electrical systems and technologies of varying complexity to be fitted on the same architecture, generating significant economies of scale and a more streamlined manufacturing process.

Volvo Cars’ CMA has been designed from the outset to embrace electrification – offering a new Twin Engine plug-in hybrid variant designed especially for the new architecture.

“We are in a terrific position with CMA. We have developed this new architecture as a plug and play component. This means that on Volvo’s next generation of compact cars you will benefit from the advanced technologies available on our XC90 today,”

said Dr Mertens.

Volvo Cars expects to significantly increase its global volumes with the coming range of CMA-based cars, which will have a truly global footprint and take the Swedish brand into exciting new product segments.

“CMA is a key part of the continued growth strategy of the Volvo Cars brand,” said Björn Annwall, Senior Vice President, Sales Marketing and Customer Service at Volvo Car Group. “Apart from offering all the benefits and features of a larger premium car, such as the industry-leading safety, powertrain and infotainment technologies, CMA will deliver a true and distinctive Volvo driving and ownership experience setting it apart from others in this growing premium segment.”

USA - Americas current Generation Z prefer to have cars, over trucks, with For leading the charge.

• Ford is the No. 1 brand of vehicle that Generation Z, those ages 16-21, most seriously consider – according to MaritzCX
• Fuel economy tops the reasons for purchase for this group, followed by vehicle design and value
• Car segment offerings make up the overwhelming majority of vehicles considered by Gen Z buyers

The youngest people in the market for new vehicles are most interested in shopping for Ford products, fuel economy and in car segments, according to MaritzCX, a customer experience software and research company.

Of the 1,061 members of Generation Z in the MaritzCX study – the group defined as ages 21 and younger – Ford tops the list of vehicles most seriously considered, at 8.2 percent, ahead of Toyota with 7.2 percent and Chevrolet with 6.4 percent.

Fuel economy top purchase consideration

Fuel economy is the most important reason for buying a new vehicle for this group, with 34 percent of respondents citing that attribute. 

The second and third most noted reasons for buying a new vehicle among this group of shoppers include their previous vehicle getting too old and repairs to their older vehicle becoming too costly.

“Making decisions based on fuel economy and value explains why these buyers tend to shop brands like Ford, which builds vehicles that prioritize these attributes,” said Chris Travell, vice president for strategic consulting at Salt Lake City-based MaritzCX.

Cars trump trucks, utilities

While much has been made in recent months about rising utility vehicle sales, Gen Z buyers in the MaritzCX study showed an overwhelming preference for shopping small and midsize cars. Four of the top five vehicle segments for Gen Z buyers are cars rather than utility vehicles or trucks.

Gen Z buyers opt for compact cars at 41.1 percent, such as Ford Focus; 14.7 percent shop midsize sedans, like Ford Fusion; and 11.6 percent shop subcompact cars, like Ford Fiesta.

Among all vehicles sold in the United States last year, car segment purchases accounted for 32 percent, with the remainder distributed among utility vehicles and pickup trucks.

“The youngest new vehicle buyers tend to have less money than older folks, so it’s no surprise they overwhelmingly shop cars rather than more expensive utilities or trucks,” said Travell. “Gen Z shoppers are driven largely by financial constraints, and car segment offerings tend to be most affordable.”

In comparing vehicle shopping preferences of Gen Z to millennial buyers, the data indicates age cohorts and buying preferences do not neatly align.

“Younger millennial buyers, ages 22 to 25 or so, tend to behave like their younger Gen Z counterparts, whereas older millennials, roughly 26 to 35 years old, act more like Generation X when it comes to vehicle shopping behaviors,” said Erich Merkle, Ford sales analyst.

The Importance of Gen Z

People in this age group were born between 1993 and 2001; while they make up a small percentage of new car buyers today, globally, they represent 2 billion people, making them the largest single age cohort in the world. Gen Z represents 21 percent of the world’s total population and 25 percent of the U.S. population.  By 2020, their purchasing power will be equal to GDP of over $3.2 trillion.