South Korea’s second largest automaker Kia Motors Corp. released a new Forte sedan in China to regain ground in the world’s largest auto market amid signs of recovery in relations between Korea and China that may revive demand for Korean cars.

The smaller sibling of Korea’s biggest car maker Hyundai Motor Co. said on Wednesday its Chinese joint venture Dongfeng Yueda Kia Motor Co. showcased the new Forte that is specifically designed for Chinese consumers at Hyundai Motor Group’s Technology & Engineering Center in Yantai, China.

The company expected sales in China to pick up amid signs of easing ties between the two countries after a year-long standoff over a U.S. missile shield. Hyundai and Kia’s sales in the country nearly halved this year as they suffered the brunt of Beijing’s boycott of Korean brands following Seoul’s deployment of an antimissile battery, which China has opposed for security reasons.

Kia’s Forte sedan first hit the Chinese market in 2009 and has sold 504,302 units in the country as of October. Its name in Chinese means “a car for people ambitiously running toward success.”

Compact sedan is the second biggest auto market in China after the sport utility vehicle, with sales reaching 4.45 million units in the January-September period.

Kia expected the new Forte, with its sleek design and high-tech features, to be a hit among young digital-savvy Chinese consumers.

This would be the first car by Kia Motors in China to incorporate technologies jointly developed by Hyundai and Chinese tech giant Baidu. The navigation system Baidu MapAuto and the voice recognition system Duer OS Auto would allow drivers to operate certain functions on voice command and search for the fastest route and nearby restaurants using big data, according to Kia.

By Lee Seung-hoon and Kim Hyo-jin

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]