Kia took the wraps off an all-new K3 in Mexico City this week.
That was a bit of a strange move since Kia doesn’t sell anything called the K3 anywhere in North America. But that’s the moniker the automaker uses for its Forte small car in its home market of South Korea. So, we suspect this is a preview of the 2025 Kia Forte.
Assuming the car you see is the next Forte, it looks sharp. It keeps continuity with the current Forte through its grille but adopts a fastback roofline, giving it more family resemblance to the EV6. Kia’s new signature “star map” lights take the look upscale for an affordable small car.
Inside, the current Forte is one of the only vehicles in Kia’s lineup that doesn’t link its central touchscreen and driver’s instrument cluster in a single housing. The next model looks likely to fix that. The central touchscreen is 10.25 inches and includes both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment. Kia says two devices can connect at the same time via Bluetooth.
It also gets “a newly designed steering wheel inspired by the EV6.”
Kia says the K3/Forte “will be offered with the renowned 1.6-liter engine, and for the first time, a new sporty GT-Line trim will be available, featuring a 2.0-liter engine.” However, we can’t be sure that the same engine lineup will appear in the United States.
Kia promises “the vibration and sound insulation levels are comparable to those seen in vehicles of a higher category.”
About the Name
Kia called the car the “K3” in its Mexican debut. That’s a surprise, as Kia has traditionally sold this car as the Forte in Mexico and the U.S.
It may be a sign that a rebrand is coming. With its last redesign, Kia changed its midsize car’s name from Optima to K5. Changing the smaller car’s name from Forte to K3 in all markets would be a logical next step.
Automakers often move to alphanumeric names for cars sold worldwide because they work in multiple languages and can often be trademarked (unlike single, correctly spelled words).
If the company follows standard practices, the car will make its U.S. debut within a few months. At that point, we’ll learn what it will be called when it arrives.
