Kia's "inspiration"?

[Smudgey]

Hi Kia Forte Forum,

as a proud owner of a Kia Forte my sedan, I got curious about what critics thought about the vehicle, and visited a few of the well-known vehicle reviewers across the Internet. I'm blindly in love with my car, and want to be aware of it's various flaws, since there is no perfect car (as much as I'd like to believe my Forte is one)

Anyway, I saw many comments about the vehicle's styling being very unoriginal: Many commented that the front headlights and fascia styling are copied from the Honda Civic and the rear was grafted from the Mitsubishi Lancer. While I agree with the former somewhat, taking a peek across Kia's entire lineup reveals similar lights exhibited in the Optima, Sorento, and Sportage - I think the headlights are more a part of the "Tiger nose" look than a swipe at Honda. I also see little resemblance between the rear of the Forte sedan and the Mitsubishi Lancer. I'll post comparison pictures.

The general feeling I get is that reviewers think that the Forte is a a competent but carbon copy of other compact cars on the market. I don't believe so - I think Kia have a spirited and atleast somewhat unqiue offering, especially in such a crowded market these days.

Tail-light comparison:
The Lancer:

The Forte:

[ItsaRuck!]

I take little stock in what a reviewer has to say. They drive expensive personal cars, and every car that costs less than $30K to them is junk. If the Forte had a BMW badge and cost $40K, they'd be falling all over it.