   2014 Kia Forte. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Jonathan Yarkony
The 2014 Kia Forte is the first in a series of new launches that Kia will be making in the coming year, and arguably the most important in this market. While the Cadenza sedan will arrive as a new full-size flagship, the Rondo crossover microvan is being relaunched after a hiatus, and the Sorento SUV and Soul whatchamacallit are redesigned for 2014, the Forte will likely be Kia’s bestselling model in Canada and second or third in the States (behind the midsize Optima sedan and Sorento SUV, both of which have leaped into the 100K+ sales in the US since being reprised under Peter Schreyer’s design influence).
Within the compact car segment, the Forte is currently an afterthought, selling 13,000–14,000 units in Canada for the past few years when the leaders are pushing 40K–50K and 64K for the indomitable Civic. This will quite likely change over the next couple years once the full Forte lineup is in play. The Forte 5-Door will follow the sedan this fall with a hot-hatch powertrain in its back pocket, and the slinky Koup to follow shortly thereafter.
Even this sedan is a sight to behold. In a class of increasingly sophisticated designs (Focus, Cruze, Elantra, Lancer), the Forte still arrests the eye with silky lines, taut proportions and the sloping rear window and stubby decklid matching the sleekness of many coupes. The design has softened from the previous generation, the details more liquid than geometric, but it is a long, low shape that hints at athleticism and speed. The lighting, especially, is a class above, with LED accents on the headlights and glowing rings around the taillamps giving the Forte a distinctive look at night.
However, the performance of a simple compact car can’t hope to match such powerful looks, even if its 173 horsepower in top trim is more than enough for this segment. Granted, compact cars are growing in weight and size at an unprecedented pace, matching mid-size cars from 25 years ago in length and wheelbase and easily exceeding their weight, so this excess power starts to feel necessary. The Forte sedan measures 4,560 mm long with a 2,700 mm wheelbase, width of 1,780 mm and a curb weight of no less than 1,241 kg, and up to my tester’s weight of 1,342 kg.
  2014 Kia Forte. Click image to enlarge |
The base engine is a 1.8L four-cylinder, its 148 horsepower and 131 lb-ft of torque class-competitive and entirely sufficient if my recent experiences with this same powertrain in the Elantra GT are anything to go by. The 1.8 is the default engine in the $15,995 LX trim, as is a six-speed manual transmission. Upgrading to the six-speed automatic requires moving up to the LX AT trim and bucking up an extra $2,700 ($18,695); that’s pretty steep as the only two features added on top of the slushbox are keyless entry and air conditioning. However, for the full list of features and trims, see Kia.ca.
The powertrain of the Forte EX and SX trims is the direct-injection 2.0L four-cylinder that makes 173 hp and 154 lb-ft of torque, only the most rudimentary $20,695 EX MT using the manual transmission. On the EX trim, getting into the six-speed automatic with manual mode and ‘Active Eco’ mode requires only an extra $1,200. The automatic is standard in SX trim.
My tester was the fully specced Forte SX and, with a price of $26,195, destination charge of $1,485, $150 colour charge and $100 for the A/C Tax, it totaled $27,930 before provincial and federal taxes are factored in. For that price, some of the wow features are: panoramic sunroof, power driver seat with memory settings, dual zone climate, rearview camera, navigation, proximity entry with push-button start, paddle shifter, HID headlights, LED ‘positioning lamps’, and my personal favourite – ventilated driver seat that blows chilled air directly at back and derriere.
   2014 Kia Forte. Click image to enlarge |
Surprisingly, the extra 25 horsepower weren’t enough to transport the Forte into the realm of fun, the 154 lb-ft seeming almost ordinary underfoot, especially when driving responsibly with the Active Eco mode, the automatic transmission upshifting efficiently (and smoothly), and holding gears desperately when cruising. Want passing power on the highway? Foot to the floor or a tap of the paddle shifter will induce a downshift and off you go with a less than thrilling whine as the revs climb. Par for the course in this segment.
Also par for the course was my observed 8.2 L/100 km, fairly typical of my commute and weekend driving and my heavy right foot battling the Eco mode. Transport Canada estimates are 8.5 L/100 km in the city and 5.5 L/100 km on the highway, while the US EPA offers 9.8/6.5/8.4 L/100 km city/highway/combined (24/36/28 mpg) in 2.0L automatic configuration. While not best in class, this downsized top-spec engine (replacing the 2013 Forte’s 2.4L) saves about half a litre per 100 kilometres while maintaining horsepower – it does, however, give up a substantial 14 lb-ft of torque. It’s also not much of a consumption penalty over the smaller 1.8 with automatic (8.3/5.5) and the manual transmission with the 2.0 (8.4/5.7). The most efficient combination is the 1.8 with manual transmission at 8.0/5.3 city/highway. None of these match class leaders like the Civic (7.2/5.0) and Mazda3 (7.1/4.9).
What stood out for me, aside from the cooled seats, was the composed and comfortable ride. I’ll skip my usual complaints about Hyundai/Kia’s Driver Selectable Steering and accept that this is no driver’s car when it comes to steering feel, but it is still an excellent small commuter or family car. The ride is firm enough that it rounds corners confidently and without feeling unsettled, and most any rough patches are smoothed over with little disturbance to the driver, the 17-inch alloys and 215/45R17 all-season rubber delivering handling without compromising ride comfort. However, with a torsion-beam rear suspension setup, as does the Elantra GT, I expect it may still have rear suspension ‘wiggle’ issues as experienced in said Elantra, though I detected none in my week. Wind and road noise are rarely an issue, and the stereo receives more than a passing grade.
  2014 Kia Forte. Click image to enlarge |
The seats in our tester were leather lined and comfortably wide and accommodating with power adjustments in six directions with two memory settings and even power-adjustable lumbar support. Other cabin materials were soft or well made, the leather steering wheel acceptably natural feeling and, call me odd, but I loved the grey plastic trim inset in the steering wheel – it had a grippy surface that felt rich, but I worry that it will peel off in the long run. Another interesting touch was the ridges in the soft-touch dash panel ahead of the passenger – what is that? Ribbed for her pleasure?
Anyhow, despite my random observations, the Forte interior is well executed and highly functional. While not nearly as dramatic or visually appealing as the Elantra, the touchscreen system was easy to navigate, the screen resolution and graphics were sharp, and response time to prompts were quick and accurate, with some fixed buttons for many primary functions and separate controls for the automatic climate control. Did I mention the cooled seats? However, the ventilated seat is a driver-only option, so that’s a bummer for front passengers.
   2014 Kia Forte. Click image to enlarge |
Rear passengers should enjoy the leg and hip room, although some headroom has been sacrificed for the sleek, low profile. The rear seats are mildly contoured for good comfort in the outboard positions and a folding centre armrest with cupholders that, when stowed, is entirely uncomfortable for middle passengers.
The trunk measures 421 L and looks large and wide, with 60/40 split-folding rear seats. It’s still no hatchback, so for anyone with serious cargo-carrying needs, the arrival of the 2014 Forte 5-door (with even better powertrain options!) is just around the corner.
  2014 Kia Forte. Click image to enlarge |
Prepare for an onslaught. For the past couple years or so, the Kia brand has been quietly building toward a major overhaul. With all of their core products redesigned under the guiding hand of Peter Schreyer, it seemed like they took a bit of a breather, launching only the subcompact Rio hatchback and sedan and a handful of updates, trims and new powertrains last year.
Well, Kia is about to ride a wave of new launches that will rebuild Kia’s spectacular momentum of the past decade, and the Kia Forte will lead the way with sedan, coupe and hatchback configuration to suit every taste. Having just driven the two dominant cars in this segment, the Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra, I feel confident being able to say that it is on par with the leaders in this segment, though it may not exceed them outright. The Forte is a good value with desirable and exclusive features in this class, alluring design, and it fulfills all the basic needs for compact car shoppers, offering a comfortable ride and accommodating interior at a competitive, accessible price.
Pricing: 2014 Kia Forte SX AT
Base price: $15,995
Base price (SX AT): $26,195
Options: $150 (Colour charge – Glittering Metal)
A/C Tax: $100
Destination: $1,485
Price as tested: $27,930
Competitors:
Chevrolet Cruze
Dodge Dart
Ford Focus
Honda Civic
Hyundai Elantra
Nissan Sentra
Mazda3
Mitsubishi Lancer
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Corolla
Volkswagen Jetta
Crash Test Results:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
