In the past, Korean car manufacturers were trailing behind their Japanese counterparts in virtually every aspect – design, quality, reliability – but take a close look at the latest edition to the Korean family. This car, the new Kia Cerato Forte, is proof that the Koreans have not only caught up with the Japanese but are also poised to take the lead in style, innovation and value.

When Kia officially released pictures of the new Forte, car enthusiasts all over the world stared in amazement and disbelief as to how Kia, designer of average-looking cars as far as we can remember, manages to come up with something absolutely stunning.

The answer lies with a man called Peter Schreyer.

Peter Schreyer, an automotive designer, first joined Audi in 1978 and was responsible for some of the most acclaimed cars of the late nineties, the original Audi TT and the classic Bauhaus-inspired 1997 Audi A6 sedan. These vehicles spearheaded Audi’s standing in automotive design and are still regarded as some of the most influential automotive design of recent times. In 2002, Schreyer joined Volkswagen, designing the handsome looking Concept-R roadster. Four years later, Kia managed to lure him over as new chief designer. And this was how the Kia Forte was born.

In terms of design, this car is indeed like no more Kia we had seen before. The front features a dominant black grille wrapped around the front, with a pair of trapezoidal "smoked" headlamps that seats neatly at both ends, giving the car a look resembling the front of the Euro Civic Type-R.

The body of the car sports clean and simple lines with chiseled front fenders, giving a muscular stance to the car. The rear of the car bears resemblance to Hyunda’s Avante design, albeit one that has gone through rigorous gym training to look more muscular as compared to the flabby, round rump of the Avante.

In all, the look might be a little derivative – as the car bears resemblance to countless cars when views from the front and rear – but at the same time, you have to admit that this is also one of the best looking cars out there in the mid-sized sedan market today.