When the avante first came out, people didn't give it a second
look.. Now that it's dirt cheap, people start saying 'value for
money!' 'lifestyle choice!' 'cheap n good!' etc etc.. But have to
give Forte time - Avante has had a few years headstart here..
Back then, people are impressed by the classy interior
design but I believe it's because of its horrible starting price of
close to $65,000 that puts people off. People are holding their
pockets and did not want to splurge on the Korean make.
Now, the Korean Won is weakening against the Sing dollar and
it's cheap like you say... so typical Singaporeans will want to get
the best value out of it and are more willing to let loose their
pockets and buy one.
I agree that Avante had a few years headstart, so it's better to
judge on the average, like how many cars sold per month
etc... 
