One of the best features of the Kia Forte is the ability to be the car you want it to be. Even though it’s a compact car the Forte shows up with three body styles to choose from. Setting the three side by side you might be surprised to know they are all part of the same lineup, but this allows you to have a car that will be easy to enjoy as you get to select the look and style you want to provide you with the drive and features you need on your new Forte.
Show Me the Money
The difference for the Forte starts with the price which begins with a manual transmission LX model that shows up at $16,800 in the sedan form. Adding an automatic transmission increases the price by $1,700 and the hatchback will starts around $20,000. Moving up to the EX the price starts just under $21,000 and comes with a larger engine and the automatic tranny. The Forte5 SX shows up with a turbo engine and is priced around $21,600 with the manual and $22,600 for the automatic. The Koup has not been priced out yet but is expected to show up in the $20,000 range to stay well within the pricing structure of this compact car.
Rev Your Engines
For these prices, you have three engines you can choose from to power your Forte. The base model, the LX sedan comes in powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 148 horsepower and 131 lb.-ft. of torque. This gets attached to either the six-speed manual or automatic transmission to provide fuel numbers of 25 city/37 hwy mpg for the manual and 26 city/39 hwy mpg for the automatic.
The next engine is the 2.0-liter four-cylinder with comes in the EX sedan, Koup, and Forte5. This engine offers up 173 horsepower and 154 lb.-ft. of torque and is attached to the same pair of transmissions. The fuel numbers come out at 24 city/33 hwy mpg for the manual Koup, 25 city/34 hwy mpg for the automatic Koup, 25 city/36 hwy mpg for the sedan and 25 city/33 hwy mpg for the Forte5.
Last is the only turbocharged engine in the lineup which is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder model found in the SX Koup and Forte5. This engine breaks the 200 mark at 201 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque. Attached to the same two transmissions this powertrain offers 22 city/29 hwy mpg for the manual Koup, 22 city/30 hwy mpg for the automatic Koup and 21 city/29 hwy mpg for the Forte5 to give good power and still enjoyable fuel mileage.
Let’s Talk Features
Of course, you don’t just get an engine on the Forte models. Depending upon where you need to shop in the pricing range you can have a lot of great features to take advantage of. The standard offerings for the LX are a keyless entry, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, air conditioning and a split folding rear seat to be a nice model. You will probably want to move up to the EX at least which adds aluminum-alloy wheels, active and passive safety features and much more to give you a car that you will enjoy driving.
The optional features for the Forte lineup include a navigation system, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate controls and the UVO infotainment system which are all part of the Premium Plus package. The SX trim adds the best engine and 18-inch wheels to give you a much better overall drive while the Technology package adds a navigation system, heated and cooled seats, a power moonroof and much more. When you do select all the different features you can the price does increase dramatically, moving the needle into the $27,000 range which is still affordable.
The Kia Forte gives you a car that has smooth and elegant looks without being overly flashy in nature. This makes for a car that can be enjoyed by many and isn’t exactly polarizing when it comes to opinions. Whether you are just starting out and need a great base model with low payments or you really like the Forte and want to add a ton of great features, this car can give you a fun ride in the right style and with the equipment you need to fit right in with your lifestyle.
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