Kia Forte5 SX offers style, good value, sporty performance

By Peter A. Hubbard

 


MotorwayAmerica.com

(March 29, 2018) For the past 10 years or so, entry-level car buyers have been flocking to Kia dealerships. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why.  Price, price, price!  Sorry for adapting your slogan, Realtor friends, but that’s the bottom line.  Kia currently offers 7, count them, 7 different models with a starting MSRP under $26,000. The list includes nearly the entire line: Optima, Sportage, Sorrento, Soul, Rio, Niro and Forte. 

Ever since the company first began selling cars in the American market, they’ve counted on their lower prices to attract buyers — even when another company’s logo was on the grille.  Kia, which began building cars in Korea way back in 1974, first arrived in the American market in 1986 disguised as Ford Festivas and Ford Aspires. 

In 1992, Kia Motors America was incorporated in the U.S., and two years later began opening dealerships and selling cars under the Kia name on the West Coast. 



The company has been growing ever since. During the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, Kia developed a partnership with Hyundai, so now both companies own stock in each other’s auto-making ventures and other subsidiaries. 



One of the stars in the line of compact Kia vehicles is the Kia Forte. Kia produces 4- and 5-door hatchback units in a modern assembly plant, along with the Rio, across the border in a suburb of Monterey, Mexico.  The plant first opened in 2015 and began producing 2016 models for the American market.

Taking a look at the 2017 Kia Forte lineup, we find it gets a solid update to the 4-door sedan and 5-door Kia Forte 5 hatchback, the subject of this review. The revised styling makes the two look a great deal like miniature versions of the nicely styled, and larger, Optima sedan.

Under the hood, the base 1.8-liter engine has been replaced with a larger, but more fuel-efficient, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. And both the Forte sedan and Forte5 get upgrades to their tech features, including enhanced driver-assist systems, and a new “infotainment” system that incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The new driver-assist technology includes automatic emergency braking and forward-collision warning.

The final result is a Kia compact with good looks and a surprising level of refinement that competes well against the likes of the Ford Focus, Chevy Cruze, Honda Civic, Mazda 3 and Hyundai Elantra. While pricing starts below $26,000, it can elevate quickly once you begin adding options. Our Forte5 SX, dressed up in a Deep Sea Blue paint job, carried a base sticker of $23,800. But $3,725 worth of options, plus freight, resulted in a bottom line of $28,420 — still not bad for what you get. 



Prices for the 2017 Kia Forte lineup start at about $17,300 (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price/MSRP) for the low-end Forte Sedan LX model with a manual transmission. That includes the $850 destination charge; an automatic transmission adds about $1,000 to the price. The new Forte Sedan S model starts at about $20,000, while the top-end EX sedan starts at $22,000.

Prices for the Forte5 hatchback start just over $19,000 and can reach just over $28,000 for our powered-up SX version. That's a solidly competitive price structure, putting it right in line with offerings from†Honda, slightly below Mazda, and a little above†compacts from Nissan and Toyota.
 


POWERTRAIN



Powering out Forte5 SX was a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine that can be paired with either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It cranks out an impressive 201 hp @6,000 rpm and 195 lb-ft or torque @ 1750 – 4500 rpm.  Out test unit was equipped with the 7-speed automatic, a sport-tuned suspension and rode on aggressive 18-inch alloy wheels and tires.  Given the amount or power available under your right foot, mileage is pretty impressive. The EPA estimates for our Forte5 SX were 25 mpg in the city, 30 out on the highway. 

Kia Forte LX and S models feature a 147-hp 4-cylinder, while the Forte EX sedan models come with either 160-hp or 164-hp 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engines, mated to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic.



EXTERIOR

Perhaps going for an across-the-board family “look,” Kia designers in Irvine, CA equipped the Kia Forte with a new grille and headlights that appear to be lifted right off its big brother, the Optima.  The sedans also go with similar taillights, which retain the original shape, but are redesigned to resemble ones on the larger car.  The Forte5 shares the same nose but retains its distinctive hatchback profile. Overall, the Forte lineup provides Kia with a fresh and good-looking group of cars. But they also come with a few upscale touches, too, like LED accent lights, power-folding exterior mirrors, puddle lamps and illuminated door-handle pockets.

INTERIOR

The interior doesn't look much different this year, retaining the logical controls and comfort, plus the whimsy of the passenger-side dash ripples. The soft-touch dash is exemplary of the overall quality of materials inside.  Seats are swathed in leather, as are the shift knob and steering wheel.  The long list of comfort and convenience features include power windows, mirrors and door locks, USB auxiliary jacks, AM/FM/MP3  radio accessed through a 7-inch touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity, back-up camera, tilt/telescope steering wheel and sporty metal pedals. All Forte5 hatchback models also come with keyless entry, air conditioning and a split-folding rear seat.

The cluster of safety features includes three sets of airbags — those mounted in the dash, seat side cushions, plus full-length side curtain units. Our Forte5 SX also came with child seat anchors, ABS, traction control, vehicle stability management, a Hill-start Assist Control and tire pressure monitoring. Once upon a time, those features could only be found in luxury units costing somewhere north of $40,000.

Our SX was also equipped with the $3,600 Technology Package, with a full navigation system, dual-zone climate system, power sunroof, xenon HID headlights, vented front sport buckets, and blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert added to the cluster of safety feature

.

Forte EX models get standard leather this year, and there's also heating and cooling available, as well as a 10-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar support. Even the rear seat offers a center armrest with cup holders, as well as a good amount of room for the class. Then there's the Forte5's excellent 23 cubic feet of cargo space, in case the sedan's 15-cubic-foot trunk isn't enough.

DRIVABILITY

True confession time.  Over the past 30 years or so, this tester has looked forward with anticipation when cars like the Honda Civic Si or the Volkswagen GTI showed up on the schedule.  Little kick-some-asphalt pocket rockets are a thrill to drive, and the fact they’re small and unassuming makes it that much more fun when you beat Corvettes and Porsches in stop-light sprints. 



Enthusiasts the land over have enjoyed similar smile-generating experiences. And while the Kia Forte5 makes a laudable effort here, with a turbocharger and 201 ponies under the hood providing genuine sporty performance, it simply lacks the same suspension tuning and zoom, zoom quality of, say, a Mazda 3 or the other more seasoned old-timers in this category.

However, for the other 90 percent of drivers who just want a comfortable, feature-filled and sporty-looking hatchback, the Forte is a solid choice. Around town and on the highway, it performs well and makes for an excellent choice – especially for the price. Multiple creature comforts coddle driver and passenger alike, and added driver-assist technologies like automatic braking and lane departure warning sweeten the deal on a solidly economical daily-driver choice.

CONCLUSION



Our week behind the wheel of the Kia Forte5 SX was most enjoyable. Zipping around town in our little “blue streak” proved quite entertaining. Not only does it perform well, but the host of cabin comforts and safety features are truly impressive for a hatchback in this price range.  But then Kia’s cars and crossovers have always provided excellent value for the money.  The same holds true here.  And with a strong warranty backing it up, it’s sure to provide buyers worry-free drivers if they decide this is the perfect  the little city car for them.