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Kia Forte5 hotted-up hatch could be coming back to U.S. market

CarBuzz discovered an executive order Kia submitted to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that appears to leave a placeholder for a new Forte5. The previous Forte5 — the hatchback version of the Forte sedan — was sold in the U.S. until last year. The tailgated version didn't make the jump to the new-generation Forte sedan that went on sale in the latter part of 2018. The question is whether the lodged paperwork means we can expect a new Forte5 to come our way, or if Kia's U.S. arm is merely preparing for the possibility. Kia's CARB filing lists four 2020 model-year Forte trims: A Forte sedan without smart cruise control (SCC) that can be had with Kia's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission or a six-speed manual; a Forte sedan with SCC that comes with the DCT; a Forte5 with the DCT; and a Forte5 with the DCT and SCC. All four cars get a 1.6-liter four-cylinder. The only such engine Kia has is a turborcharged GDI unit with 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, currently found in the Soul GT. The only engine available in the Forte sedan at the moment is a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 147 hp and 132 lb-ft, with a CVT manipulating gear ratios. In an interview with Motor Trend at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show where the latest Forte sedan was launched, the Forte's product manager said, "We're not done with Forte. ... We have more exciting products that are coming that I can't speak of." We know there's a production version of the Forte GT on the way with the 1.6-liter, so that takes care of two of the listed vehicles. At the time of the interview, MT wondered if the Kia exec was alluding to "a return of the Forte5 hatchback," something cribbed off the gorgeous Proceed concept shown at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. If we were to peer perhaps too closely at the tea leaves, in January of this year Kia launched the new Forte5 hatchback at the Montreal Auto Show (pictured). An exec with Kia Canada said that country is "the first in North America to get up close to a brand-new vehicle." Perhaps we'll be the second. That car in Canada comes with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder in base trim, and will offer the 1.6-liter as part of a "GT performance upgrade." We know the Forte GT sedan will come with nicer and sportier bits like LED headlights and 18-inch wheels on Michelin Super Sport tires. If there is a hotted-up Forte5 hatch on the way, we should know before too long.

Hyundai boosted production in March, so now its cars sit in U.S. ports

SEOUL — As Detroit's automakers shut production in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, South Korea's Hyundai cranked up its factories back home to ship cars to the United States, a move that is proving costly for the world's fifth-largest auto group. Hyundai ramped up domestic production to as much as 98% of capacity by late March, not only as the Korean market was recovering from a bad February but also because it bet on demand for Tucson SUVs and other models from U.S. customers, its biggest overseas market outside of China. While Hyundai is one of few global automakers whose production has recovered at home, its exports optimism has been dampened by the severity of the U.S. outbreak, weak consumer sentiment and as rivals have quickly moved to guard their turf. Consignments of cars shipped from South Korea are now sitting in U.S. ports, with dealers slow to take deliveries because of slumping sales and rising inventory, four people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The company idled a Tucson production line at home last week for five days, while sister firm Kia is looking to suspend three Korean plants for a week. And analysts now expect a sharp drop in first-quarter operating profit when it reports results on Thursday and some even forecast a second-quarter loss. "I hope that the situation will recover by the middle of next month. If not, we might have to lay off some people," said Brad Cannon, general manager of an exclusive Hyundai dealership in California, whose sales are down more than 50% from when the pandemic started. Hyundai runs a factory in Alabama — which is closed until May 1 — but imports are key to meet U.S. demand. Only about half of its vehicles sold in the United States are made in North America compared to between 68% and 85% for Japanese rivals Toyota, Nissan and Honda, who have also suspended production there till May. The South Korean company makes about 61% of its cars overseas, up from 48% a decade ago. That leaves it vulnerable to overseas factory shutdowns and shrinking demand outside of its home market. Hyundai's South Korean factory operation, which had recovered from a component shortage from China to nearly 100% capacity by March, could fall to as much as 70% in April, the company recently told analysts. "We will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action promptly," Hyundai said in an emailed statement. Minimizing the impact For its part, Hyundai has taken measures to minimize the impact.

Kia Australia confirms a pickup truck is in the works

Reports continue to indicate that there will be a Hyundai pickup truck, but this bit of news is about the potential of a Kia pickup. After all, if Hyundai does it, why can’t its corporate cousin Kia get a slice of the pie, too? WeÂ’ve heard rumors of a Kia truck before, but this report is much more definitive about the projectÂ’s existence. Damien Meredith, the Chief Operating Officer of Kia Australia told CarsGuide that the Kia pickup is a go. “Work has begun,” Meredith says. “WeÂ’re talking about a dual-cab, a single cab. What weÂ’ve requested is the full gambit (sic) for the ute, and that (includes) a dual cab with diesel and petrol.” Of course, this is Kia Australia talking. ThereÂ’s no one suggesting that any Australia-specific Kia truck would make it to the United States, but itÂ’s intriguing to know the designers and engineers are on the job. We didnÂ’t previously know that there would be a Kia pickup, but now Meredith is saying it will likely be arriving around 2022 or 2023. The latest on HyundaiÂ’s pickup is that itÂ’ll be launching in 2020, but Hyundai hasnÂ’t confirmed anything yet. Meredith also touted that the Kia pickup wouldnÂ’t be a “lifestyle vehicle,” but more of a serious pickup truck. Would Kia actually make a body-on-frame pickup to compete against trucks like the Ford Ranger or Toyota Hilux in other markets? ThatÂ’s certainly nothing like what we think the Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup is going to be like. That's expected to be a unibody pickup, similar to the Honda Ridgeline in stature and drivability. The more we read into this, the more this pickup is looking like a body-on-frame utility vehicle for markets outside the United States. Kia could sell the truck in Asia, Australia and other markets where the international version of the Ranger and Hilux are offered. Will it ever see the U.S. market if this is the case? Probably not. Although the Ranger ended up here, it did so after substantial re-engineering. The Hilux and other trucks like the VW Amarok remain for other countries only. We'd expect the Kia truck as described by Meredith to be so as well.