Unluckily Lucky... (Sheesh)

Sunday, 21st November 2010 has just officially lapsed and boy, what a day it had been!

There were the good parts, the unlucky parts, and the unluckily lucky parts... phew!

The morning started fine enough with breakfast with the family at Solaris Mont Kiara. Then we decided to pop over to the Car Of The Year carnival (COTY) 2010 exhibition at Matrade, which was just a stone's throw away. Sharlotte drove her Forte over; but the parking was horrendously full with so many visitors. And if we parked further away, we could get a spot but that would meant walking quite a distance in the sun with lil' Alex in tow; so we vetoed the idea and decided to go home first and come back later.

La la la, perming my hair...

Reached home shortly and Sharlotte wanted to pop out for a hair rendezvous at the saloon. She's worked hard being a good mummy and while I have been trying hard to assist to the best of my capabilities; I thought that she deserved a pampering session as a treat to herself and get her mind off the baby for a good few hours. But the session turned out to be exceptionally long; and while I had no issues with that, the fact that she had told me nearly 2 hours earlier that she was almost done and would be home soon, had me worried sick that something could have happened. What's worse was I wasn't sure if I should call least that I distract her while she's driving (given that she's new to driving in Malaysia); and when I finally did and she didn't answered, that was quite the straw that broke the camel's back. 

She later came back home with newly permed hair and didn't understand why was I so worried. Man...

(Unlucky Part : I was worried sick.

  Lucky Part : Sharlotte was alright and had a pretty nice hairdo even.)

Then we went back to COTY 2010 and it was a good session looking through and trying the new cars. I'll be posting another article on the going-ons of the COTY 2010 hereafter.

After that, we drove to the Petronas petrol station at Sri Hartamas to fill up some gas and lo and behold, the battery decided to die after we have refueled. The petrol attendants could not spare a battery to jump-start the car; although they were willing to sell me brand new NS60 ones. And the printed RRP said RM450, which was very steep even for maintenance-free battery. Haggled a bit and settled the change for RM238. 

Free advert spot for this chap as he sells the same, original Century MF battery at just RM155! I paid RM238 at Petronas Sri Hartamas!

If Sharlotte and Alex was not in the car with me, I would have waited for the auto assist people to help out as the market charges for Century NS60 revolves around RM150-RM170. But with a toddler on board, time was a luxury that I do not have then; hence the daylight robbery scenario. The car started like a charm after that though!

(Unlucky Part : The battery died and needed replacement.

  Lucky Part : The battery died when we were at a petrol station, which was selling car batteries. And it is a sure start on a Monday workday morning.)

The EG6 bumper with Mugen skirt needs attention...

Then drove over to Solaris Mont Kiara for dinner and after dinner, we proceeded back to the car. A bloke was trying to park his SUV into the spot in front of our car and although there was more than ample space (plus the fact that his Hyundai Sante Fe had reverse sensors), his SUV nevertheless reversed into my front bumper. 

I was like, "Man, this sucks!" and motioned for him to alight to look at the damage. The old bloke feigned ignorance and we have to go through the motion of haggling for compensation. As I wasn't a big fan of going to Datuk Bandar to make the police report, I accepted a token sum of RM80 to fix up the damages. Nothing too fancy, but the bumper and skirts would have to be re-aligned, repaired and re-sprayed. And the no. plate needs a replacement, so we are probably looking at about a couple of hundred's worth of damages hereabouts.

(Unlucky Part : The front bumper got banged.

  Lucky Part : We were in my older car and not Sharlotte's new Forte. And thank goodness that we witnessed the bloke reversing into our bumper; or it would have been all out of own pockets then.)

So now that Sunday's over, let's hope that the rest of the week will work like a charm. Crossing my fingers...

Honda Civic Killer? Kia Forte Koup SX Test Drive...

Trivia : How Many Ferraris Could You Spot In A Day?

This is a trivia posting just for Sunday. I was driving the Kia Forte SX and heard a loud rumbling behind me.

"Now what kind of sports car could that possibly be?", I asked aloud as a Ferrari soon overtook me.

As there were quite a fair bit of loaded car enthusiasts living in my area, I have seen many sports cars in the vicinity including the Elise, Fairlady, TT, R8, Panamera, Cayenne, 911, 355, 360, 460,etc. I then thought it would be interesting to see how many Ferraris can I chanced upon on a weekday?

And so, I started counting...

 

And the answer was 3 Ferraris on a workday. If only my neighbour's Ferrari was parked in his car park spot, then it would have been rounded into a 4 Ferrari day. But alas, he had an Alphard parked there instead; so for the interim period, the most Ferraris spotted in a day stays at 3!

And what about you?

An LS460L Owner's Take on the Forte SX

I must admit that the Lexus LS460L is a luxurious ride!

My FIL was in town and it would be interesting to note his take on Sharlotte's Kia Forte SX given that he's more used to the finer things in life. His daily rides at the moment consist of the luxurious Lexus LS460L and the huge Toyota Highlander.

And his Highlander is a full-size badass SUV that is surprisingly easy to live with!

I have driven both his cars consistently whenever we visited my parents-in-law; but given his haughtiness and his love to share his opinions of all things under the sun, it was just natural that he would have lots to say about the Kia Forte.

Our Kia Forte SX waiting for the Jury to sentence- gulp!

Thank goodness we got the SX guise as the ride comes with more bells and whistles compared to the less-complicated EX version; so perhaps he would be less critical of this "cheap car" as he professed over the line before seeing the car in skin.

And the day of reckoning soon arrived and after seeing the Kia Forte SX in the skin and riding as the front passenger over the next few days, he was ready to deliver the verdict. Surprisingly, he was not as harsh as expected on his take regarding the Forte SX, rendering it as an "acceptable" car instead of his initial thought of this being a mere "cheap car".

Face-off...

Ride and comfort was of course nowhere in comparison compared to his LS460L, which had the dual-suspension setup at a touch of a button (Sport or Comfort). The Forte SX was found to be rather bumpy, although at high speed, the car was relatively more well-behaved and poised.

He also found the car a little bit cramped; but being just "a little" when it was a comparison between a C-segment and an E-segment was actually a brownie point in the Forte's fort.

Spacious interior with the push-start ignition.

He liked the Push-Start button ("Hmmm, same push-start ignition as my cars eventhough yours costs 10 times lesser?"), the keyless entry and the remote-enabled trunk control. And he thought that the rear lights at a 45" angle looked pretty much similar to the LS460L's.

Spot the similarities, anyone?

 "Altogether, not a bad car- kind of like a mini Lexus of sorts!", he concluded before flying off.

Differences in sizes become clearly visible when parked side-by-side.

And the pressure is building up as Sharlotte shared with him on my plan to get a Toyota Harrier in the near future, although I am only just starting to save up the extra pennies now. Gulp...

Harrier vs Highlander @ next round.

A Tale of Moving Your @r$e Like A G6, and Then Meeting A Real @$$ Forte

Woah, found a parking right in front of Popeyes!

Last night, wifey wanted to have Popeyes; so we drove over to TTDI to have Louisiana's juicy fried chicken and fillet. The franchise in TTDI was a nice choice- there was parking aplenty (yup, we parked right in front of the restaurant!) and on seeing that we had a toddler and could do with a bit of privacy, the staff opened up the upstairs section (previously closed) so that we could all enjoy dinner minus the hustle and bustle of the crowd downstairs.

Like a G6!!!

So Alex and Sharlotte enjoyed a round of G6 dancing in our "VIP section" and it was a funny sight to behold- a toddler of 1+ year jumping along while seated on his baby chair as his mummy swung her seductive body to the grooves of G6 playing on the radio in the restaurant. Haha, had it been a full section, there was no doubt that this would not have seen the light of the day. Even the staff serving us joined in the fun and we all had a good laugh over dinner.

(Look out for the video on Youtube, if you can find its heavily-layered file :)

After dinner, we drove back home. The traffic light near the Naza TTDI showroom showed red, so we stopped our car (on the inner left lane) and so did the other cars on our right. As soon as the traffic light turned green, all the cars started moving along. And thank goodness that I have had defensive driving courses and always checked my rear mirror, for I saw a car racing along zig-zagging between several cars behind me.

Almost an accident if not for the drivers' quick responses!

As it passed by me, it was a very tight spot between me and the car on my right, but the idiotic driver decided to give it a go anyway. I braked and swerved to whatever spaces there were left on my left (no pun intended) while the chap on the right did an emergency brake; and the idiotic driver swerved past in between us by a cat's whiskers. I was wondering what Ah Beng car this was and alas, it was a slap on thy own face as it was an ebony black Kia Forte with an outstation no. plated *AS 848.

The driver on my right gave me a shrugged look and pointed at the idiotic Kia Forte; and I was initially all for going after the arse for endangering my family's life with its dangerous driving. But if I start driving like an arse like him, on a public road with my family in the car, then it would make me nothing but a shade of him.

High beams on the Forte's arse!

So I eased off on the throttle and saw the car continued zig-zagging in between cars with many cars high-beaming him/her and sounding their horn.

To the driver of the Kia Forte no. plated *AS 848, there is a fine line between driving enthusiastically, and driving like a nut and endangering the general public. And you looked very much like the latter.

Apologies for 2 Weeks of Absence : Let's Talk About Golf (the car, silly!)

Well, here it is then... from the e-mails that came in, you would have thought that I was the President of US of A and lost somewhere in the Pacific Ocean or so. So, thanks for the well-wishes and no, I am not missing in Banting, yes, I am still alive and no, I have not sold off the Kia Forte and switched over to the Golf 1.4 TSI.
 

The new faces of Volkswagen Das Auto!

Speaking of the MK6 Golf 1.4 TSI, anyone reading this blog would most probably be a car lover, or at least a car user, so you could do well to give the Golf 1.4 TSI a test drive to see what the hype is all about.

Make no mistake, this is not the MK6 Golf GTI that looks and takes-off like stink and costs some RM200k with the stupendous car import tariffs that Malaysians enjoy (the same GTI goes at GBP23k or RM118k in UK).

Without the horrendous taxes, you can have this GTI for a mere RM118k, less than what you would pay for a Camry 2.0!

The MK6 Golf 1.4 TSI, in retrospect, costs app RM150k locally (or although, had I still lived in UK, the same spec would cost a mere GBP13k or RM65k after conversion). For RM65k locally, you can't even get a re-badged Kia Forte 1.6 EX at the home front.

And the 1.4 TSI at RM65k would be a no-brainer decision!

The Golf 1.4 TSI is the more serene-looking and family-approved model in the Golf stable, yet fast-like-shite given that it is powered  by Volkswagen’s award winning EA111 1.4 liter TSI engine, making 160 PS and 240Nm of torque. That's serious ponies coming from a mere 1,400 cc "puny" engine and this is made possible by the engagement of twin-charging. How exactly does that works? Well, let's sample what Paul Tan explained :

"Twin-charging uses both an exhaust driven KKK turbocharger and a mechanical supercharger to operate at different engine speeds. The turbocharger is tuned to provide maximum boost at the upper rev ranges, but when you do this normally low end will suffer with turbo lag and slow boost kick in. How Volkswagen solves this problem is by employing a second forced induction device – a mechanically driven Eaton Roots-type supercharger."

What it all means that this Golf 1.4 TSI has plenty of torque at even low rpms, and is fair game for your everyday stop-look-go driving. And Kia Fortes, even in 2.0 SX guises, may well steer-cleared of this fire-breathing little monster.

Fast yet comfortable, the Golf 1.4 TSI provides another new entrant into the competitive C-segment car choices in Malaysia. Had only Proton secured the JV with Volkswagen last year, the Golf 1.4 TSI could have been another Forte-ed ride with a local price tag of app RM75k, competing squarely with the Kia Forte 1.6 EX.

The EX still looks good from all angles!

And had that happened, the Kia Forte 1.6 EX could no longer be as smug as Stuart Baggs in Week 7 of Sir Alan Sugar's Apprentice.

Stuart Baggs is so full of himself in Week 7!

Just for Laughs : Do you know your golf partner well?

Two old friends were just about to tee off at the first hole of their local golf course when a guy carrying a golf bag called out to them, 'Do you mind if I join you? My partner didn't turn up.'

'Sure,' they said, 'You're welcome.' So they started playing and enjoyed
the game and the company of the newcomer. Part way around the course, one of the friends asked the newcomer, 'What do you do for a living?'

'I'm a hit man,' was the reply.

'You're joking!' was the response.

'No, I'm not,' he said, reaching into his golf bag, and pulling out a beautiful Martini sniper's rifle with a large telescopic sight. 'Here are my tools.'

'That's a beautiful telescopic sight,' said the other friend, 'Can I take a look? I think I might be able to see my house from here.' So he picked up the rifle and looked through the sight in the direction of his house.

'Yeah, I can see my house all right. This sight is fantastic. I can see right in the window.' 'Wow, I can see my wife in the bedroom. Ha Ha, I can see she's naked!! Wait a minute, that's my neighbour in there with her...... He's naked, too!!!

He turned to the hit man, 'How much do you charge for a hit?'

'I'll do a flat rate, for you, RM1,000 every time I pull the trigger.'

'Can you do two for me now?'

'Sure, what do you want?'

'First, shoot my wife, she's always been mouthy, so shoot her in the mouth.'

'Then the neighbour, he's a friend of mine, so just shoot his d!ck off to teach him a lesson.'

The hit man took the rifle and took aim, standing perfectly still for a few minutes.

'Are you going to do it or not?' said the friend impatiently.

'Just be patient,' said the hit man calmly, 'I think I can save you a grand here.....'

Woohoo, we get to drive the new Forte SX police car first..!!!

Just for Laughs : New Forte Koup Owner

A new Forte Koup owner was out on an interstate for a nice evening drive. The sunroof was down, the breeze was blowing through what was left of his hair and he decided to open her up.

As the needle jumped up to 120 kmph he suddenly saw a flashing red and blue light behind him. "There ain't no way they can catch a new Forte Koup," he thought to himself and opened her up further. The needle hit 130, 140, 150 and finally 160 with the lights still behind him.

"What in the world am I doing?" he thought and pulled over. The cop came up to him, took his license without a word, and examined it and the car. 

"I've had a tough shift and this is my last pull-over. I don't feel like more paperwork so if you can give me an excuse for your driving that I haven't heard before, you can go!"

"Last week my wife ran off with a cop," the man said, "and I was afraid you were trying to give her back!" 

E-mail from Reader : Crazy Love for Kia Forte

"Dear KFSX,

Please forgive my language if I sound a little worked up as I was quite put off by my GF earlier. I had to go for a negotiation with my buyer, whom had refused to pay his dues for some time now; and there was indication that the negotiation may take a turn for the worst and snowball into a confrontation/fight. My GF advised me to go out earlier and settle the matter; and perhaps I could march into his place and seat myself there until a solution was worked out.

As my GF's and my cars were in tandem parking, I grabbed her Kia Forte keys and informed her that I would be taking her car out simply because hers was parked on the outside and thus, easier to drive out. She then chided me that I shouldn't be thinking of driving her car to the negotiation as things could turned bad and her car could be damaged in the process.

Her imagination had ran wild then and she was thinking that the buyer could chase me fast and furious-style and ram his car into her beloved Kia Forte. This was of course, not going to happen in reality. Logically-speaking, if I was there making an arse of myself in the buyer's pad with his mates over there, if things do turn bad, they would most likely beat the crap out of me in the pad itself. I don't think that they would be giving me the opportunity to go out of the pad, take the lift some 18-storeys down, retrieve the Kia Forte and then only come after me in their Mini Cooper S so as to ram their car against mine.

But it does feel pretty hurtful that she would be thinking of her car's safety, rather than mine; when I would be walking into a dragon's den shortly during that time. By the grace of God, all things worked out properly with no blows thrown about during the confrontation; but I felt really shortchanged.

Don't you think that that was some crazy love for Kia Forte?

Yours truly, CA Hurt"

Kia Forte SX's reply :

Dear CA Hurt, this is mainly a car blog; and I am not a trained social behaviourist so I am not going to make an arse out of you and me by trying to read into her action and come out with my own judgements, which may only make things worst. I am just glad that you are alright (least that I have one less reader if anything happened- btw, that was a tongue-in-cheek joke) and hope that things would work out fine.

The Forte does leave one speechless at times; and in this case, well, the case leaves us speechless. However,I am sure that she didn't mean you any harm and probably just used a poor choice of words leading to the current misunderstanding.

Any smart readers whom wanna assist to comment and hopefully draw some consolation for CA Hurt? I'll moderate the comments but leave the essence of the comments thereon. Thanks in advance!

US-based About.com Review : 2010 Kia Forte sedan test drive

Meet the all-new 2010 Kia Forte, which replaces the Spectra as Kia's entry in the crowded compact sedan segment. Kia claims the Forte represents the New Age of Kia -- top-quality cars that can hold their own against Toyota, Honda and Nissan while retaining Kia's traditional value equation (translation: cheap prices). 

That's a pretty tall order -- can the Kia Forte really deliver, or is this just more marketing hype? 

First glance: Promises, promises

When a second-tier automaker says they're going to build a first-rate car, I get all giddy inside, because I know that much hilarity is about to ensue. I've seen it before: Public-relations proclamations that this is the car that will launch them to the top of Consumer Reports' best-buy list and make Soichiro Honda roll over in his grave. The car turns out to be a noisy, tinny, plasticky piece of crap, and I get to write a knee-slapping review telling you not to buy it.


So when Kia said that the all-new Forte was going to give cars like the Corolla, Civic and Sentra a run for their money, I figured I could just sit back and let the jokes write themselves. Don't get me wrong -- I like Kia cars, but they aren't exactly keeping Toyota executives awake at night. A Kia that's as good as a Corolla? Comedy gold, my friends.


And then I drove the Forte...and it was a major disappointment. Not because it's bad, but because it's every bit as good as Kia promised it would be. Damn, I thought as I turned my first mile in the Forte, there goes my review.


Truth is, you could slap any one of a number of Japanese badges on the Forte -- Mazda, Nissan, maybe even Toyota if the light wasn't great -- and most people would believe it. It really is that good. The Forte is handsome, but not divisive; its feature list is long, but not excessive; its road manners are athletic, but not punishing. Like the best cars in this class, the Forte is solidly middle-of-the-road -- a major accomplishment from an automaker that has spent most of its time, metaphorically speaking, in the breakdown lane.

In the Driver's Seat: As good as anything else 

Inside the Forte, the plastics, fabrics and carpets are as good as or better than those found in competing cars. The controls are simple, the instruments clearly labeled, and visibility is great. All Fortes get a height-adjustable driver's seat and steering column; only the top-of-the-line SX model get a telescope (in-and-out) adjustment for the steering wheel, but even without it I found the driving position comfortable enough. Ditto for the back seat -- I had plenty of room back there, and even with the front seat adjusted all the way back there was adequate space for my feet. The trunk is huge -- 14.5 cubic feet -- but the opening is small.

Being a Kia, the Forte is heavy on value. The base model costs $14,390 -- $1,825 less than the cheapest Honda Civic sedan -- and comes with stuff the Civic doesn't get, like a Bluetooth speakerphone, CD stereo with USB input jack, and electronic stability control. You can add air conditioning for $1,500, but a better deal is to spring for the $16,490 Forte EX, which comes with A/C, power windows, mirrors and locks, remote keyless entry, cruise control, a split/fold rear seat, and other goodies. (For those keeping score, that's $1,675 less than a mid-level Honda Civic LX, and the Forte EX is better equipped). Top of the range is the $17,890 Forte SX, which, like the $19,610 Toyota Corolla XRS, gets a bigger engine and a sportier suspension. Tick all the option boxes -- heated leather seats, moonroof, automatic -- and the Forte SX tops out at a reasonable $20,535.

On the Road: A tale of two engines

LX and EX models are powered by a 2-liter engine. Its output of 156 horsepower sounds promising, but its old-tech automatic has only four speeds -- which means frequent flooring of the pedal to get at the engine's power. 

There are two fixes: First, save a thousand bucks and get the five-speed manual; second, spend an extra $600 on the Fuel Economy Package, which includes a 5-speed automatic that provides more flexibility (and better gas mileage, to boot).

What I like best about the Forte is that all versions come standard with a full load of safety features, including six airbags, antilock brakes and ESC, a life-saving technology that reduces the chance of the driver losing control in a swerve or a skid. Honda only offers ESC on the priciest Civics, but it comes free on the Forte. Bravo, Kia! Another good deed: Both engines are available in Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) versions for California-compliant states, with only a slight drop in power output.


Journey's End: Good news for you, bad news for me

The 2010 Kia Forte is an impressive car that does the job just as well as mainstreamers like the Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, and Ford Focus. The Honda Civic's innovative interior and the Mazda 3's long list of creature comforts put them ahead of the Forte, but both are significantly pricier.  

The Forte SX does even better against big-engine compacts like the Toyota Corolla XRS and Mitsubishi Lancer GTS -- it's more fun to drive than the Toyota and has a better interior than the Lancer.

The Forte's best rival is the Hyundai Elantra. (Hyundai is Kia's parent company.) Like the Forte, the Elantra has a roomy interior and long warranty, plus it's good to drive and a great value. But base models don't come with ESC, and the Elantra is as bland-looking as the Forte is attractive. Advantage: Kia.

Resale values are a Kia weak point, but the Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG) has set the Forte EX's 3-year residual value at 50% -- 15% better than the outgoing Spectra and only 3% and 11% behind the Toyota Corolla LE and the class-leading Honda Civic EX-L respectively. (Other Fortes range from 46 to 54%.) And Kia backs their cars with a great warranty -- 5 years/60,000 miles on the whole car and 10 years/100,000 miles on the powertrain.

Bottom line: 

The Forte is exactly what Kia promised -- a first-rate car that can run with its mainstream rivals. It may not be best in class, but it's far, far, far from the worst. That's great news for car buyers, even if it's bad news for us writers.  

-- Aaron Gold

What I liked about the Kia Forte:

All models get the full load of safety equipment as standard

Handsome looks

Roomy, well-appointed interior

Decent to drive

Inexpensive price

What I didn't like: 

• Four-speed automatic puts a damper on power output  
• No center headrest for the back seat

Who should buy the Kia Forte:

Anyone looking for a good deal on a compact sedan


Who should not buy the Kia Forte:

Brand snobs

Details and specs:

• Body style: 4-door sedan
• Seating capacity: 5
• Trim levels: LX, EX, SX
• Price range (including options): $14,390 - $20,535
• Base engine: 2.0 liter inline 4-cylinder, 156 hp @ 6,200 RPM, 144 lb-ft @ 4,300 RPM (SULEV version: 154 hp @ 6,200 RPM, 139 lb-ft @ 4,600 RPM)
• Optional engine: 2.4 liter inline 4-cylinder, 173 hp @ 6,000 RPM, 168 lb-ft @ 4,000 RPM (SULEV version: 165 hp @ 6,000 RPM, 161 lb-ft @ 4,000 RPM
• Premium fuel required? No
• Transmission: 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 4-speed automatic, 5-speed automatic
• Driveline: Front engine, front-wheel-drive
• EPA fuel economy estimates: 25 MPG city/24 MPG highway (2.0 manual/automatic), 27/36 (EX with Fuel Economy Package), 22/32 (2.4 manual), 23/31 (2.4 automatic)
• Where built: South Korea
• Standard safety equipment: Front airbags, front-seat-mounted side airbags, two-row side curtain airbags, 4-wheel disc brakes with antilock control, electronic stability control
• Optional safety equipment: None
• Major standard features: AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with USB input jack, Bluetooth phone connectivity, variable-delay wipers
• Major options: Air conditioning, power windows, mirrors and locks, split/fold rear seat, alloy wheels, heated leather seats, moonroof, trip computer, floor mats
• Warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 10 years/100,000 miles powertrain, 5 years/60,000 miles outer body rust-through
• Roadside assistance/free maintenance: 5 years/60,000 miles roadside assistance

Best rivals: Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mitsubishi Lancer GTS

Kis Forte SX's Verdict : 

Choose your own poison- all these cars in the US C-segment category look the part and represents modern driving at the current best standards. While the prices do not differ much in the US market, we are lucky that the Kia Forte SX's price is much lower compared to these other rides, thanks to Naza doing a badge swap and then saving loads of import taxes by declaring that the Forte SX is a CKD effort. I have chosen to go with the Forte SX- have you been left speechless lately?

Happy Diwali Long Weekend : A Drive Up Genting Highlands

Welcome to Genting Highlands!

Nice and cold weather!

Okay, so here I am at Hotel Highlands writing a piece on the test drive of the Forte SX up Genting Highlands. You have probably read how the Forte did beautifully in its assent and descent of Cameron Highland's long and winding roads earlier the week; so let's put the Forte to the test on the sharp slopes and turns of Genting Highlands, where you can always find cars parked alongside the road with their bonnets opened.

Pulling strong...

Nice power play...

We kept overtaking each other off...

The weather is nice and cool up here, and the wind is blowing massively outside the hotel room's windows. Earlier the day, I made a trip up here in my well-maintained Civic EG and along the way, I had the opportunity to drive alongside a nifty Forte 1.6 SX, which gave me plenty of chances to squeeze every ounce of my B16A juice against its eager Gamma powerhouse.

Fun with a capital F!

Power at your fingertips!

Now, my B16A has been tuned and dynoed for best results; and the fact that the presumably stock standard Forte SX was still pulling strong despite us travelling at speeds in excess of 130 kmph on uphill driving indicated that it should be fun to take the Forte SX up the mountain for a spin.

Gamma engine can be fun!

So, after we have checked into the hotel, I decided to drive back home and climb the mountain again- this time in our Forte SX too.

And the fact that I am writing here showed that the Forte SX had no issues taking up the hills; although at certain stretches it seemed to huff and puff a little. Note that our Forte SX is completely stock standard for now; and a simple drop-in or open-pod filter should improve things somewhat. And the tiptronic was a wonder to use and functioned beautifully- enabling me to overtake cars in a furious yet comfortable pace throughout the journey. 

Simple driving made fun!

No wonder I see so many Kia Fortes at the car park earlier- it's just so easy to tackle the mountain roads with the well-designed Forte SX!