KIA Forte

Forte offers comfortable and spacious seats with seating space for five people. However, the second row is compact and is best suited for only two adults. While the available sports seats in the GT grades further elevate the comfort and enriches the ride quality too. The dual-zone automatic control allows the front passengers to set the temperature as per personal convenience individually. The intuitive dashboard resembles a unique yet straightforward presence in the cabin. It centers an 8-inch touchscreen at easy to access distance for drivers. You can pair your smartphone with the standard Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Bluetooth. The base grades delight the passengers with a 4-speaker system, while the GT grades intensify the experience with the 6-speaker system.

Kia Forte as a compact sports sedan is more about styling. The sleek and dynamic exterior design of Forte echoes with the Stinger’s personality. The sporty front fascia of this sedan features Kia’s tiger-nose grille. While the Stinger inspired exterior lines magnify the presence and make it more alluring. The front LED headlights come with auto-leveling and high beam assist feature. The rear LED taillights feature eye-catching design and carries a never-ending impression. Moreover, you can expand the presence of Forte with the GT grades. They feature red grille inserts, side sills, gloss black mirror caps, rear diffuser accents, and rear lip spoiler.

The ride quality of the Kia Forte is not well composed, and it gets harsh on stiffer road conditions. The MacPherson Struts suspension in the front balances the vehicle and ensures compact handling. And Multi-link suspension in the rear provides a bump-free ride. But still, when it comes to the ride quality, Forte is below expectations. Whereas, its rivals such as Honda Civic, perform much better on the road than Forte. In terms of handling, Kia has installed motor-driven power steering as the standard among all the grades. It works perfectly on sharp turns, but again it is not up to the mark of Civic.

Kia Forte is available in 5 grades and two engine choices. The turbocharged 1.6L four-cylinder gasoline engine powers the top-grade GT. And, can be mated with either 6-speed manual transmission or 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. This engine can produce a maximum power of 201 hp at 6,000 rpm and torque of 195 lb.-ft. at1,500–4,500 rpm. Forte GT delivers a good fuel economy of 28 mpg combined. The 2.0L four-cylinder engine powers the rest of the grades of Forte. It can produce a maximum power of 147 hp at 6,200 rpm and torque of 132 lb. ft at 4,500 rpm. This engine is mated with the Intelligent Variable Transmission, it enhances the shifts and ensures linear acceleration. The 2.0L engine matched with IVT gives the mileage of 35 mpg combined.

Kia Forte ensures functional braking capacity with the 12-inch ventilated disc brakes in the front wheel and 10-inch solid disc brakes in the rear wheel. To make braking more intact, Kia has installed the anti-lock braking system. It ensures safe and skid-less braking on uneven road conditions. Forte 2020 comes with many standard safety features like driver attention warning, forward collision warning, forward collision-avoidance assist, lane departure warning, and lane-keeping assist-line. These features alert the driver with visual and audible warnings and take the necessary steps like applying brakes and corrective steering to avoid the collision. The higher grades come with additional safety features, such as adaptive LED headlights, blind-spot monitoring, reverse parking sensors, and adaptive cruise control.

Kia Forte is an affordable compact sedan available at lower starting prices of $17,790. Plus, it delivers excellent fuel-efficiency and saves a lot of money with low-cost maintenance. It is loaded with many standard driving assistance, infotainment, and convenience features. Also, Forte provides you with a comfortable and spacious cabin. However, the base engine lacks punchiness, and Forte’s ride quality is not up to the standard of many of its rivals.