Welly 1:43 Kia Cerato (K3, Forte) and K5 (Optima)




Hyundai is not the only models that Welly is specifically designing for promotional products, Kia is another with main focus on the small and mid-size car lineups.











Kia Cerato

The Kia Cerato, also known as the K3 and Forte in other countries, is the compact sedan for the lineup and has been in production since 2003 when it replaced the Sephia predecessor.  The new car shown here is much larger to compete with class competitors that include the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and Ford Focus.  Speaking of Focus the styling of this sedan looks a lot like the 2012 Focus sedan.  Styling of Kia models also adopt the fluid sculpture from the Hyundai lineup, though recent models now have a design of Kia's own that is not shared with Hyundai models.  The interior has better materials and a rippled effect on the passenger-side of the dashboard.  Powertrain is the DOHC I-4 with the 2.0 being the most common producing 173 horsepower through a six-speed automatic transmission.  The Cerato is offered in sedan, coupe, and 5-door hatchback models.










In gray this looks like a down-market rental car and that's a shame because there are some nice details presented in the Cerato.  The front has larger headlights that connect to the Kia signature honeycomb grille, while the lower bumper has foglights integrated with the center scoop.  The sides are standard-fare compact car look with 5-spoke wheels that look better after I added some black trim details to make them stand out.  At the rear is a clean look with large taillights ( I added the signal and reverse lamp areas in silver) to finish off an otherwise staid look.  The base shows off the exhaust layout with a bit of the engine and transmission showing up at the front.  The interior gets some needed light from the sunroof and shows off a five-passenger layout with detailed door panels, a center console with detailed shifter for the automatic, and a dashboard with three-spoke steering wheel and center controls within easy reach.  This casting would look better in more vibrant colors sporting a rear spoiler, but for now you basically just get a rental car version.









Kia K5

The most striking car in the Kia lineup in the new midsize sedan called the K5, or Optima in other markets.  The K5 name has not had much success thanks to a rather pedestrian-safe design in past models, but that all changed in 2011 with the stylish version shown here that wears the now famed Kia tiger-nose grille.  The car was great to look at in all angles and makes the car even more competitive against the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, while offering special features like a panoramic sunroof and turbo models.  The interior has a better layout with controls that are mounted higher and toward the driver for better access.  The powertrain is a 2.4L DOHC I-4 that produces 200 horsepower and 186 Ib-ft. of torque through a six-speed automatic transmission.  Even the handling was much more sportier and refined than Honda or Toyota competitors.  Even as Welly makes the latest-generation K5 car it has nothing compared to the wild look of this K5 generation.








To start it off I got this one in blue because it looks the best and it does to this casting despite my tester having a few minor trim defects.  The front has sleek and wide headlights that connect to the tiger nose grille, while lower foglights connect to the center grille for a more sleeker appearance.  The sides are enhanced with chrome trim details and multi-spoke wheels that look fantastic on this car.  The roof is blacked out for the panoramic sunroof that once again would look nice if it was see-through.  The rear has large and flared back taillights that connect to the upper portion of the trunklid, while the bottom has dual round exhaust tips to complete one of the best-looking Welly Hyundai/Kia models by far!  The chassis mostly shows the exhaust layout, while the interior has seating for five with a nice dashboard layout. The 4-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a gauge pod, while to the right is radio and HVAC controls within easy and visible reach of the driver.  The shifter is placed along the center console layout.  This is one of the sharpest Welly Kia models and not even the recently-introduced 2017 K5 sedan has the style that this 2011 K5 models has.




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