Note to self: Entering automotive research and development centers as visitors may lead to the confiscation of cameras for the duration of the stay.We’re in gloomy and rainy South Korea to drive the 2012 Rio and refreshed Soul, but before we take to the wet roads, we were whisked away to Hyundai-Kia’s Namyang R&D Center with an unhurried 1.5-hour bus ride that led us southwest away from the capital of Seoul. After having our iPhones and other electronic equipment taken away, our first stop in the high-security, 857-acre compound was the design center, where static displays of the next-generation Forte and Sorento facelift were waiting.

The new Forte, which will stay on the current small car platform, is due in two years. All three body styles – coupe, sedan, and five-door hatchback – were shown, and there was obviously a lot of modeling work done. When the Forte first arrived to relieve the Spectra of its C-segment duties, the easy visual comparison pitted the then-new Kia against the compact heavyweight Honda Civic. A few years later, Kia has injected more of its distinctive design DNA into the future Fortes. The wheelbase will be longer, all models are wider and lower to the ground, and there is more exterior differentiation apart from simply the number of doors. The beltline is faster and angled more sharply for a more elegant appeal, the edges are softer, and the “tiger nose” front grille that has become Kia’s calling card is more pronounced. The sedan, penned in Irvine, California, will inevitably be called a miniaturized Optima and the addition of front quarter glass next to the side mirrors is a touch all its own. The coupe’s greenhouse seems to have grown too, as the side windows look enormous now, and the front grille will be very thin and narrow for a sportier touch similar to the upcoming Rio5. The five-door continues its long body, short overhang approach but will leave a more memorable impression than the current car. Both the coupe and hatch were collaborative design efforts between Kia’s team in Irvine and Namyang.