2020 Kia Forte

The 2020 Forte remains unchanged from the yesteryear and frankly, it was already ahead of time back then. Even today, many of its rivals still struggle to match the feature-list of the Kia. Peek under the hood, and you'll be acquainted by a four-cylinder motor that is smooth but lacks the excitement. As a compensation though, it gets you stellar fuel-economy along with an intuitive infotainment system. A slew of active-safety features are also offered, including standard automated emergency braking and optional adaptive cruise control.

With the prices starting at $17,690 for the base trim, the Forte challenges some well-reputed rivals like the Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta, Toyota Corolla, and the Hyundai Elantra.

The 2020 Kia Forte starts at $17,690, which is one of the lower base prices in this affordable class and reaches up to $22,000. Kia covers the Forte with a five-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. That's among the best coverage you can get from any automaker.

"In short, the Kia Forte has grown up. It’s more refined and sportier while boasting more tech. It’s also more fuel efficient. And in addition to having a generous amount of safety and infotainment technology, the new Forte has been made more attractive with some styling cues taken from the Kia Stinger sport sedan. - Kellybluebook

All of the 2020 Forte models comes with a 2.0- liter four-cylinder engine that produces 147 horsepower and 132-pound feet of torque. The base variant comes with a six-speed manual transmission while a CVT is optional. Higher spec models come with a standard CVT.

Known by the name “Intelligent Variable Transmission” (IVT), this is Kia's first attempt at a CVT and developed by Kia in the house for a production car. This gearbox uses a chain-type belt instead of a push belt to reduce the rubber-band effect. To curb noise, vibration, and harshness, Kia added more adhesive and thicker glass for the front side windows. The shifts are seamless and power is evenly distributed over the whole rev range.

The Honda Civic is the most powerful car in the lot which produces 158 hp and 132lb-ft of torque. The Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra are somewhat similar in terms of power delivery. The Forte sedan bags second spot in head to head with rivals.

Acceleration

Kia Forte’s little 1.6 liters will give you a pleasant surprise as it is very potent. A slick 6 speed automatic makes most of the horsepower and hits 60 mph in just 9.5 seconds. The acceleration is linear and it takes 16.2 seconds to cover the quarter-mile flag.

Once again the Honda Civic with its potent engine is fastest among rivals and merely takes 8.0 seconds to reach 60 mph followed by Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla.

Ride and Handling

The ride quality provided by the (MacPherson struts and a torsion beam in the rear is firm but comfortable, and the car feels stable on the highway, yet willing to change directions when the road starts to curve. The electric-assist steering communicates well what the front tires are doing, and the CVT does a good job of mimicking a traditional 6-speed automatic.

In fact, most people would be hard-pressed to identify the Forte’s transmission as a CVT, thanks in part to what Kia calls “adaptive style shift logic.” There are three electronic drive modes: Normal, Smart and Sport. In Smart, the new Forte switches between Normal and Sport, depending on how the car is being driven. In short, the new Kia Forte is a nimble compact sedan, and its well-tuned steering, gas and brake inputs make for a pleasant driving experience.

Braking

Forte’s brakes are firm with short pedal travel. They are easy to modulate in stop-and-go traffic and also on tight curves. The 125 –foot stopping distance from 60 to standstill is above average. They stay consistent and aspires confidence while sudden stops.

Most of the car delivers similar braking performance is there is no substantial difference.

The Kia Forte’s engine employs the Atkinson cycle, which results in better fuel economy. A base Forte, fitted with the 6-speed manual transmission, delivers EPA fuel economy of 27 mpg/city, 35 mpg/highway, and 30 mpg/combined. If you opt for a Forte FE with the new continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), those numbers increase to 31/41/35, respectively. Over 40 mpg on the highway is impressive.

Those numbers are similar to what the Honda Civic offers with its base engine and each transmission choice, but the Forte does a little better than the Hyundai Elantra in all those considerations.

"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 the wide audience. Nobody should be surprised if it continues to be Kia's best seller."- CNET

Seating and Comfort

The 2020 Kia Forte will remind you of the Optima from inside, or, in other words, it's good looking and well equipped. The minimalistic design, with a wide horizontal theme and beautifully contoured dash, can be compared with an entry-level Audi. Soft-touch materials on the front door panels and armrests while leather-textured black plastic decorates the dashboard.

The front seats, which provide ample comfort throughout the day are well suited for taller drivers. Likewise, the split folding rear seats are pretty decent in terms of legroom and headroom. The middle armrest is around an inch higher and longer than the previous variant, which improves it much for, well, lavishly resting your arm. Forte’s outward visibility is excellent due to the well-designed A & C pillars.

Interior Features

• Front Bucket Seats -inc: 6-way adjustable driver's seat
• 60-40 Folding Bench Front Facing Fold Forward Seatback Rear Seat
• Power Rear Windows
• Leather Steering Wheel
• Remote Releases -Inc: Mechanical Cargo Access and Mechanical Fuel
• Cruise Control w/Steering Wheel Controls
• HVAC -inc: Underseat Ducts
• Power 1st Row Windows w/Driver 1-Touch Down
• Front Center Armrest
• Perimeter Alarm
• Cargo Space Lights
• Fade-To-Off Interior Lighting

Infotainment System

The touch screen sits high on the dash, within easy view of the driver. There are clearly labeled physical buttons and knobs to adjust audio and cabin climate settings. The infotainment system is intuitive and processes command quickly. The 2020 Forte offers a ton of standard features:

• Radio: UVO eServices Infotainment AM/FM/MP3
• Audio -inc: SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• USB/auxiliary input jacks
• 7" touch-screen display, rearview camera
• 6 speakers including tweeter speakers
• Bluetooth wireless technology w/voice recognition, and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls
• Radio w/Seek-Scan, Clock, Speed Compensated Volume Control and Voice Activation
• Streaming Audio
• Window Grid Antenna
• 2 LCD Monitors In The Front

Cargo Capacity

The Kia Forte has one of the largest trunks in its class. Rear seats can be folded down to make more space for storing your articles but not in the base variant. Also optional is a hands-free power trunk, which pops open when you stand behind the car with the smart key on your person.

The 15 .3 cubic capacity is slightly larger than the Honda Civic (15.1) and Hyundai Elantra (14.4). Corolla stays last in rivalry due to smallest load carrying capacity.

“The 2020 Kia Forte pairs stylish good looks with a lot of features, making it a compact sedan standout” –car connection.

Dimension and Height

And it's a pretty pleasant face. Although it's far from the Stinger's twin, the Forte adopts some of the most prominent features from the sporty hatch, such as the long hood, fastback profile, and sweptback headlights.

With the refresh in 2020, the Kia Forte gets a more appealing exterior, with edgier lines and the prominent tiger grille up front. Taller and wider than the previous generation, the Forte has a more imposing presence than ever before. At the back, the tail lights feature full-length LED strip, which keeps the design relevant for 2020.

The Forte is few inches shorter in length than most of their competitors but otherwise measure up very close to the rest of the class. As with several competitors, a small footprint helps the Forte feel nimble, although driver and passengers will surely note the Forte’s body roll around curves and corners

Exterior Features

• Body-Colored Front Bumper and Body-Colored Rear Bumper w/Black Rub Strip/Fascia AccentBlack Side Windows Trim
• Body-Colored Door Handles
• Body-Colored Power Heated Side Mirrors w/Manual Folding
• Fixed Rear Window w/DefrosterLight
• Variable Intermittent Wipers
• Front Windshield -inc: Sun Visor StripFully Galvanized Steel PanelsBlack Grille w/Chrome
• SurroundLipSpoiler
• Rear Cargo Access
• Fully Automatic Projector Beam Halogen Headlamps w/Delay-Off
• Wheels: 16" x 6.5" Alloy w/Dark Inserts
• Clearcoat Paint

• Anti-lock braking system
• Traction Control
• Dual advanced front airbags
• Dual front side-mounted impact airbags
• Dual side curtain airbags
• 4-wheel anti-lock braking system (ABS)
• Electronic stability control (ESC)
• Vehicle stability management (VSM)
• Hill-assist control (HAC)
• Rearview camera Blind spot detection
• Lane-keep assist system
• An autonomous emergency braking system

Honda Civic

The Honda Civic and Forte earn lots of praise as an amazing daily driver. Kia is a better value product because of the lower price tag and lots of standard safety features. The Civic has athletic handling along with a comfortable ride. Choosing between these two may just come down to whether you want more amenities at a cheaper price with the Forte or better overall performance with the Civic. The Forte is the better value in base form thanks to a lower starting price and heaps of standard infotainment and advanced safety amenities.

Hyundai Elantra

The Hyundai Elantra has one of the lower base prices in the segment, but its void of standard safety features. Both cars offer turbocharged engines with almost the same power output. The Elantra has low composite safety scores, which makes the Forte a better option. The Hyundai Elantra is a good car but it does not stack up well against the Forte.

Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla is an excellent daily driver but is a bit dreary to drive. You will get more of everything, such as cargo space and rear seat room, except fuel economy. The Kia Forte is still a better alternative as it offers subpar interior and an appealing design. In terms of overall performance, the Kia Forte is a sure winner.

The Forte may not be athletic as the Stinger but it does a lot of things well. It falls on the shopping list of nearly every compact car buyer. Kia Forte is spacious, comfortable and well equipped at an economical price tag. With upmarket material and a long list of standard features, this Kia proves to be a compelling choice. The ride quality may not be aspiring like the Mazda 3 or Honda Civic but its turbocharged engine is a blaring deal. The SX model offers a sportier ride, and as the only model with a manual gearbox, it’s the enthusiasts’ pick. By all means, the new Forte is a much better alternative to many subcompacts like the Corolla.