Kia's new 2014 Forte five-door hatchback will boast some added punch thanks to an optional 1.6-liter, 201-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

The new mill, which is shared with the Hyundai Veloster Turbo, is the Forte's first-ever boosted engine in the United States. In addition to its 201 horsepower, the 1.6-liter cranks out 195 lb-ft. of torque. It will be mated to a choice of a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters.

The turbo will be standard on the five-door Forte SX. Anchoring the lower end of the lineup is the Forte EX with a 2.0-liter, 173-horsepower naturally-aspirated four-cylinder that's shared with the Forte sedan.

Adding to the Forte's sportier positioning, both models will include the automaker's new FlexSteer electric power steering. At the press of a button, drivers can select between three levels – comfort, normal and sport – for the power steering's heft.

Stylistically, the hatchback diverges little from the recently-introduced four-door. Aside from the obvious inclusion of a five-door body configuration, the hatchback includes standard 16-inch alloy wheels and LED headlamp accents.

The hatchback includes 23.2 cubic feet of cargo space.

Forte SXs add 18-inch alloy wheels, dual chrome exhaust tips and LED tail lamps, plus a unique body kit with black gloss highlights.
Regardless of trim level, all Forte hatchbacks will offer HID headlamps, navigation, a heated steering wheel, heated leather front seats and an air conditioned driver's seat.

The base 2014 Kia Forte sedan will cost $16,700 including destination when it goes on sale next month, fitting slightly below its compact competitors.

Kia is touting the 2014 Forte as the least expensive in its class, and the compact sedan does in fact cost $80 less than the redesigned 2013 Nissan Sentra at $16,780, $90 less than the new 2013 Dodge Dart at $16,790 and $225 less than the 2013 Ford Focus sedan at $16,995.

The new price is a slight increase from the 2013 model, which cost $16,175 after shipping charges.

The new-generation Forte sedan is longer, lower and wider than its predecessor, and has slimmed to two powertrain options.

The base Forte LX is equipped with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission. Adding a six-speed automatic transmission to the LX trim brings the price to $18,200 after shipping charges. The top trim Forte EX has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder powerplant and six-speed automatic transmission for a $20,200 price, including shipping.

The 1.8-liter is rated at 148 hp and 131 lb-ft of torque, and the 2.0-liter makes 173 hp and 154 lb-ft.

The base Forte LX comes standard with steering wheel-mounted audio controls, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth, power windows, air conditioning and heated power-folding mirrors.

Upgrading to the automatic transmission on the LX trim also adds 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, keyless entry with remote trunk release and a sliding front armrest.

The EX trim adds the 2.0-liter engine with Sportmatic shifting, Kia's UVO infotainment and telematics system, remote keyless entry with trunk opener, backup camera and cooling glove box.

An available Premium package costs $2,600, and adds heated front and rear seats, 10-way power adjustable driver's seat with air-cooled ventilation, leather seat trim, power sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, push-button start and heated steering wheel.

The optional Technology package costs $2,300, and adds HID headlights, LED tail lights, a 4.2-inch color touchscreen and dual-zone automatic temperature control.

At the 2018 North American International Auto Show, Kia Motors America (KMA) hosted the global debut of the all-new 2019 Forte which enters its third generation with a more sophisticated design and desirable features that transforms one of Kia's best-selling vehicles into something more than a compact car meant for getting people from one point to another. Thanks to a number of improvements, Forte now offers drivers a higher level of comfort, fuel efficiency and advanced driver assistance technologies that are aimed to make the journey - whether a short commute or long haul - a more rewarding and decidedly upscale experience.

The Kia Forte has evolved with a number of visual and feature enhancements, inside and out. The cabin is now more comfortable and "class above," and integrates new driver assistance technology. In addition, the Forte ups its MPG game with an all-new powertrain that utilizes Kia's first IVT, set to deliver an estimated 35 MPG combined.

"The compact sedan segment is highly competitive, but with all the improvements the new Forte brings to market for the 2019 model year, it is more than prepared to take on the toughest the segment has to offer," said Orth Hedrick, vice president, product planning, KMA. "As one of our top-selling models, the all-new Forte follows some large footsteps, but enhancements in styling, packaging and content make it even more attractive to drivers seeking a compact sedan that can accommodate their versatile lifestyle."

Standard features and desirable amenities in the compact sedan segment continue to be available across three trims - LX, S and EX - with the model line continuing to expand throughout its lifecycle.

While many automakers are moving away from building compact sedans in favor of offering new utility vehicles, Kia is doing no such thing. After all, the Forte is the company's best-selling product, and the biggest gateway into the Kia brand. That makes the Korean automaker's decision to launch this brand-new 2019 Forte a total no-brainer.

The third-generation Forte's front end borrows heavily from the rakish Stinger, resulting in a narrow "tiger nose" grille and swept-back headlights. The result is a front end that makes a somewhat aggressive statement -- certainly more so than the previous Forte, at any rate. Unfortunately, the sporty looks soften out back. The shape of the greenhouse and short trunk lid are more Nissan Sentra than Kia Stinger, which isn't exactly a compliment.

Inside, some Stinger influence is again present in the circular air vents implemented into an intuitive cabin layout. Note the clearly marked HVAC controls and ample soft-touch materials on the dashboard and door panels -- this all makes the Forte look and feel more premium than some of its competitors. There's adequate space in front and back for adults, though going three-deep in the rear will be cozy and best. The trunk's 15.3 cubic-feet of space is the largest in the class, edging out the 15.1 cubes found in the Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra.

Of course, many competitors, including the Civic, offer hatchback body styles. For the previous Forte, Kia did offer the Forte5, but has yet to confirm if a new one is coming. A Kia spokesman says more Forte news is coming, though.

Overall, the cabin is comfortable. The leatherette seats in my range-topping EX test car are cushy and provide just the right amount of side support -- after a long drive through Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, I'm free of fatigue. It's a quiet cabin, too, with thicker front door glass keeping the cabin hushed, even over rough stretches of road

Standard on all models is an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, as well as both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities. The system offers clear imagery, snappy response to commands and quick switching between different menus. On my EX, an optional Harman Kardon audio setup belts out crisp tunes through its eight speakers.

Navigation is also available on EX models, working as advertised, but annoyingly the map always defaults back to a wide-out view. My test route had many easy-to-miss turns, and a zoomed-in map comes in handy when trying to navigate unfamiliar areas. Constantly having to re-zoom-in is frustrating.

To help win the war on dead smart devices, the Forte EX is littered with charging options, with a regular USB port, two quick-charging USB ports and a 12-volt power outlet standard. A wireless charging pad at the bottom of the center stack is available as an option.

For safety, all Fortes come equipped with forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning with lane-keeping assist. EX trims add standard issue blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and lane-change assist, while auto high-beams, parking sensors and adaptive cruise control are optional. The latter works well on curvy two-lane roads outside of downtown Pittsburgh, adjusting speeds with the flow of traffic and keeping a reasonable distance between me and the car ahead.

From a dynamic standpoint, the Forte is a far more refined vehicle than its predecessor. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder churns out 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, which definitely won't win you any drag races, but is competent enough to get the Forte up to speed without issue.

On LXS, S and EX models, a new continuously variable transmission routes power to the front wheels helping to return an EPA estimated 30 miles per gallon in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. With steps programmed into the gearbox, under light-to-medium throttle it operates like a regular torque converter automatic and the manual shift function is the most responsive in a CVT that I've come across to date -- even if it isn't actually moving any gears.

You can still get a Forte with a six-speed manual transmission if you want, but only on the base FE trim with 15-inch steel wheels. With 27-mpg city and 37-mpg highway fuel economy ratings, it's not as efficient as CVT-equipped Fortes, but the lower cost of entry, avoiding the constant engine drone at wide-open-throttle and having three pedals may make the fuel economy penalty worth it to some.

The range-topping EX confidently carves through bends with controlled body roll, serviceable grip from the 225/45R17 Kumho Majesty Solus all-season tires and strong power from the brakes. The hefty-feeling steering is fairly quick to respond to inputs, making the Forte pretty entertaining to toss around.

Where the Forte has a leg up on the competition is in the ride comfort department. Its McPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension setups are nothing groundbreaking, but they're stellar at absorbing impacts from ruts and potholes. Surprisingly, the more cost-effective torsion beam setup in back copes with mid-corner bumps well during normal driving. However, if you're looking for a compact sedan to drive in a more enthusiastic manner, you'll likely want to go with the Civic or Mazda3 for their multilink rear suspensions and overall more engaging character.

When the 2019 Kia Forte arrives in dealers this month, it'll begin at $18,585 including $895 destination for the FE manual. The Forte with the CVT begins at $19,485 to undercut the automatic transmission-equipped versions of the Chevrolet Cruze ($20,400), Civic ($20,635), Mazda3 ($20,040) and Corolla($19,620). My well-equipped EX tester starts at $22,885.

On top of its value proposition, its combination of style, respectable handling, excellent ride comfort and tech position the new Forte well to play to wide audience. Nobody should be surprised if it continues to be Kia's best seller.

It’s slim pickings out there for sport compact buyers. Just a decade ago, inexpensive sporty cars were relatively plentiful. Now? Not so much. If there’s any silver lining, it’s that the few remaining small enthusiast sedans and hatchbacks are by and large quite decent little cars, this 2020 Kia Forte GT included.

They also seem to be coming from the darndest places. Back when Mazda and Mitsubishi were still building cars like the Mazdaspeed3 and the Lancer Ralliart, Hyundai and Kia were effectively nowhere to be found in the sport compact segment. Yeah, the Tiburon existed; what more do you want us to say? Today, these Korean juggernauts are producing several affordable, enthusiast-friendly models.

While it’s no Stinger, the Forte GT boasts some reasonably credible specs. For starters, it’s powered by a 201-horsepower, 1.6-liter turbo-four that also produces 195 pound-feet of torque. It can be ordered with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The GT also gets bigger brakes up front (12-inchers rather than the 11-inch discs on the base car) and larger wheels with optional Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer performance tires. Plus, it ditches the base Forte’s twist-beam rear suspension in favor of a multi-link setup, which improves both ride quality and handling.

There’s a weight penalty to all this added kit, of course. The GT checks in at 2,989 pounds with the six-speed and 3,079 with the dual-clutch unit, amounting to about 300 pounds of added heft compared to a plain-Jane Forte.



The dearth of alternatives in this segment makes it somewhat difficult to put these numbers into context, but the best analogs (aside from the equivalent Hyundai Elantra) would be the VW Jetta GLI and the Honda Civic Si.

Volkswagen and Honda have been in this game for decades, and it shows; the GLI has the Forte GT beat by just about every measurement save one – curb weight. The VW is as much as 300 pounds heavier depending on equipment, which is noteworthy considering their dimensions are otherwise just about identical. The Civic is lighter but otherwise goes pretty much spec-for-spec with the Forte GT. The Honda’s edge comes from a helical limited-slip differential and an adaptive suspension, neither of which is found on the Kia.

We sampled a loaded-up 2020 Forte GT with the dual-clutch automatic, and for better or worse, we found its real-world performance lined up just about perfectly with its spec sheet.

While 200 horsepower is hardly the stuff of modern performance cars, in this relatively lightweight sedan it more than gets the job done. The GT’s dual exhaust is demonstrably louder than that of the base car’s, but we wouldn’t necessarily call its tone alluring. As with many small-displacement, turbocharged engines (Honda’s included), it’s a bit coarse and thrashy, especially when pushed.

We were more satisfied with the seven-speed DCT, which gets the job done just fine. We experienced no hesitation or otherwise finicky behavior. In fact, we barely noticed it operating at all, which is high praise. As with most automatics these days, it’s also the more efficient of the two transmissions offered in the Forte GT, rated at 27 mpg city, 35 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined; the manual is rated at 25/32/28.



On the busted roads of metro Detroit, the Kia acquitted itself rather well. The suspension is taut but not overly firm, and the high-performance Michelins on our test car kept the Forte GT planted. The steering is reasonably direct and offers enough feedback to keep your average enthusiast content in daily driving. We’re not doing much commuting these days, but the Forte dispatched some small errands with aplomb.

Beyond that, things get a bit murkier. While the Forte GT is plenty capable of being pushed, we wouldn’t necessarily say it’s eager to do so. In other words, it doesn’t really feel playful. Some sport compacts beg to have their limits explored; the Forte is the sort of partner that seems content to stay in its comfort zone.

For the buyer who wants a daily driver with a little more kick and doesn’t necessarily want the added capability and complexity of the Civic Si or VW Jetta GLI, the Forte GT formula is right in that sweet spot. Plus, it’s a fantastic value, checking in well below either competitor with a starting MSRP of just $23,455 (including a $965 destination fee) — $2,000 cheaper than the Honda and $3,000 cheaper than the Volkswagen.

The manual will run you another $600 but includes a few features that you have to pay extra for with the DCT, including a 320-watt Harman Kardon audio system and a power sunroof. Opting for the stickshift also locks you out of some of the Forte’s advanced driver safety features, but we suspect those who want to row their own gears won’t miss those too much.

Overall, the 2020 Kia Forte GT is a great daily driver with a little more punch and refinement than a run-of-the-mill Forte, but it comes up a bit short when compared to some of its more-enthusiast-focused – and expensive – competitors.

Kia gave the K3 a mid-cycle update for the South Korean market back in April but it's only now the compact sedan is receiving the same updates for North America. Rather than switching to an alphanumeric moniker as it's been the case with the Optima (now called the K5), the Honda Civic competitor is sticking to its Forte nameplate for the 2022 model year.

The exterior changes are quite substantial as aside from the updated logo and redesigned headlights, the Forte also gets a fresh take on Kia's corporate "tiger nose" grille. In the case of the GT model, there's a sportier front bumper with nifty three-point LED fog lights arranged diagonally.

The GT-Line also gets the redesigned fog lights, with both upper-spec models also featuring different LED taillights to separate them from the lesser trim levels. Rounding off the exterior tweaks are 16- and 17-inch wheels (LXS, GT-Line) and a trunk lid spoiler. Speaking of trims, the EX model has been discontinued, meaning the range has been simplified to include only four versions: FE, LXS, GT-Line, and GT.

For 2022, the driver's display has been bumped in size from 3.5 to 4.2 inches standard across the range, while the 8-inch touchscreen can be bumped to a new 10.25-inch infotainment. Kia is adding wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, along with an available electric parking brake (with auto hold), and a USB charger for rear-seat passengers.

Upgrade to the GT-Line or GT and you get remote start, and there's now also the option for synthetic leather upholstery. A total of 15 safety and assistance systems can be ordered, some new and some upgraded from the pre-facelift Forte. From blind spot and lane following assist to navigation-based cruise control and safe exit warning, it’s impressively equipped for a model in this segment.

The two gasoline engines are carried over, meaning the regular models get a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter unit with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet (179 Newton-meters) of torque. Stepping up to the GT gets you a turbocharged 1.6-liter rated at 201 hp and 195 lb-ft (265 Nm) channeled to the front wheels through a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic. The Forte GT also gets a sportier exhaust, and more importantly, a multi-link rear suspension for better handling.

While the Forte5 was also updated in South Korea where it goes by the name of K3 GT, there’s no word about the hatchback returning to the United States.

The Forte is driving off into the sunset after the current model year, but Kia won't remain without a compact sedan in its US lineup. Quite the opposite, in fact, as the Korean automaker is preparing the unveiling of the all-new K4 as we speak.

Set to premiere at the 2024 New York Auto Show on March 27, the all-new Kia K4 continues its teasing campaign, with the manufacturer releasing the most revealing images yet. Thus, whether it is the exterior or the cockpit you are mostly interested in, or likely both, you can see them in the picture gallery above.

Kia's 2025 K4 has a much sleeker appearance compared to its predecessor. It sports an intricate front lighting signature with vertical headlamps and Y-shaped DRLs that protrude into the new bumper and the latest interpretation of the tiger-nose grille. The hood has a clamshell-like appearance, and we can see the corporate grille adorning the car's nose.

At the rear, the compact model has boomerang-shaped taillights that somewhat resemble the front DRLs. Kia's design team moved the license plate holder from the trunk lid to the new bumper, thus making the former look cleaner. The car also has trick new quarter panels and rear pillars, and the rear door handles were hidden into the C-pillars. The wheels equipping the pictured model are identical to those in last week's teaser.

Kia could have drawn the line here, but fortunately for us, they were kind enough to reveal the K4's cockpit in a premiere. Here, it has a dual-screen setup that combines the infotainment system with the digital instrument cluster. The two-spoke steering wheel is also visible alongside the center console. The vehicle has a chunky gear selector surrounded by a few buttons, including the push-start one, and Kia also gave it a pair of cupholders in front of the central armrest.

The air vents are on the minimalist side, as they were neatly incorporated into the new dashboard panel. It's great to see official confirmation that the car still has many physical buttons, including the Home, Map, and Search ones above the left central air vent, alongside a rotary controller. The HVAC system can be controlled by the physical buttons located further down.

According to the car manufacturer, the new K4 will be available with many exterior finishes, including Onyx Black, Canyon Brown, Medium Gray, and Slate Green, joined by new seating trims and materials. More on it next week when it premieres at the 2024 New York Auto Show. We expect the first copies to start arriving at dealers all over the nation in the weeks or perhaps months following the official unveiling, and chances are the pricing details will be announced close to its on-sale date.

The 2025 Kia K4 is here as the Forte’s replacement, but Kia didn’t stop at revealing the sedan at the New York Auto Show today. No, in a surprise showing, Kia flashed some photos of a soon-to-come K4 hatchback in GT-Line trim on the screen right at the end of its presentation.

“I’m excited to give you a look at what’s coming next, a five-door hatch version,” Kia head of global design, Karim Habib said in New York.

The list of official information about the hatchback essentially starts and ends there. Habib goes on to call the hatchback a practical vehicle “aimed at a dynamic and urban lifestyle.” Its front and rear design mirrors that of the sedan, but the hatchback shape should vastly improve the utility of its cargo area. Plus, who doesn’t love a pretty hatchback? We certainly dig it, and it’s extra exciting that Kia sees fit to bring this body style to the U.S. market.

As far as powertrain details, specs or any concrete info, we’ll need to wait to hear more on the five-door. However, it’s probably a safe bet that the hatchback will share most of everything with the K4 sedan, which you can read all about here in our reveal post. We suspect more details will surface on the K4 hatchback over the coming year, so stay tuned.