We’ve written extensively about the Kia Forte and its capabilities on this blog. Today we’re going to look at where the Forte is made. This seems to be a straightforward question, but this car consists of many components (engine, transmission, tires, etc.) made in different parts of the world. Let’s start with a quick answer:
Kia Forte, intended for the American market, are assembled in Pesqueria, Mexico. Furthermore, the engines for this Forte are most likely made by Hyundai in Montgomery, Alabama, whereas the transmissions are built at the American Kia manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia.
However, that certainly doesn’t answer the question entirely. Below, we’ll first dive into detail about the assembly location. After, that we’ll give you the complete rundown of where the engines are made, and we’ll do the same for all transmissions used in this vehicle. Finally, we’ll talk about how to identify which tires you have and where they are manufactured precisely. Read on!
Also read: How Many Miles Can A Kia Forte Last? (Answered)
Assembly Locations Per Generation
The first generation of the Kia Forte was manufactured between 2008 – 2012 and assembled in the following locations worldwide: Hwaseong, South Korea; Yancheng, China; Quito, Ecuador; Teheran, Iran; Oskemen, Kazakhstan; Gurun, Malaysia, and Kaliningrad, Russia.
The second generation of the Kia Forte was manufactured between 2012 – 2018 and primarily used the exact assembly locations as the first generation, although there were a few changes. Locations included Hwaseong, South Korea; Pesqueria, Mexico; Yancheng, China; Gurun, Malaysia; Kaliningrad, Russia; and Batna, Algeria. The third generation, manufactured from 2019 onwards, is made in the exact locations except for Gurun, Malaysia.
Also read: 15 Annoying Problems Of A Kia Forte
Engines
The engines that have been used in the Kia Forte are an exciting aspect of this car. The reason for this is that, throughout the generations, these are mainly Gamma, Nu, Kappa II, Gamma II, Smartstream, or Theta II engines. What’s interesting about this is that Hyundai makes all these engines.
This is because Hyundai is the parent company of Hyundai. Kia, therefore, doesn’t make the engines themselves but instead gets them from the manufacturing plants of Hyundai.
But the real question here is where Hyundai makes these engines. Hyundai makes the majority of these engines at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Plant in Montgomery, Alabama. However, official data about the production of this engine isn’t readily available. We, therefore, assume that part of the engines are also made at the Hyundai manufacturing plant in Ulsan, South Korea.
Also read: Types Of Gas A Kia Forte Takes (All Generations)
Transmissions
Just like the engines, the transmission manufacturing locations for the Forte aren’t so precise. Again, this is mainly because the production of this car happened worldwide, and the manufacturing of Hyundai and Kia isn’t separated. However, we feel it’s safe to assume that transmissions for the Kia Forte intended for the American market are made in West Point, Georgia. Kia has been manufacturing transmission here since 2008, whereas Hyundai has been building transmissions in the nearby Alabama plant in Montgomery for both Hyundais and Kias.
Also read: Kia Forte Towing Capacity: Can It Tow a Camper Trailer, Boat, or Jet Ski?
Tires
Unfortunately, Kia has no information available about what brand of tires come stock on the Forte. Therefore, it’s impossible to give information about this. However, there is a way to figure this out yourself.
Suppose you want to know exactly where the tires of your Kia Forte are made, then you can look up the DOT code on the side of your tires. This code is not that large, so you’ll have to take a moment to find it. It’s an extended code of letters and numbers that starts with the letters ‘DOT’. DOT stands for Department Of Transportation.
After the DOT letters, you’ll find a combination of three letters, numbers, or a mix. You can search on the internet for the specific three number/letter combination you have to find the exact manufacturer and location where the tires are made. For example, ‘1M3’. In this case, 1M3 indicates Michelin makes the tire in Greenville, South Carolina.
Is The Kia Forte American-Made
The Kia Forte for the American market is not American-made. This is because assembly for this car happens in Pesqueria, Mexico. However, it is likely that the engines for this car are made in the Hyundai Montgomery Plant in Alabama and that the transmissions are made in West Point, Georgia. However, it’s likely part of the production of engine/transmission, or parts happens in South Korea.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_Forte
- https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1023097_hyundai-kia-continues-u-s-expansion-with-new-gearbox-plant
Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.
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