Kia's all-new Forte compact sedan goes on sale in July, giving the South Korean automaker a strong entry into a market segment dominated by the venerable Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
With a starting price of $13,695 (plus freight), the 2010 Forte joins the compact Spectra in the Kia lineup and offers a long list of standard safety and convenience features,
"On the heels of several successful vehicle debuts and introductions, Forte finds itself in good company and follows in the stylish steps of Borrego and Soul," said Michael Sprague, vice president for marketing at Kia Motors America.
"With a heavy emphasis on design, Forte sedan is poised to help consumers make that emotional connection with their vehicle by offering the entire package of style, safety features and value," he said.
Kia believes the car will have strong curb appeal in a segment riddled with plain, boring vehicles. Design cues include swept-back headlights and a wide stance that gives the car a muscular look and helps improve road handling.
Three trim levels are offered: base LX, midlevel EX ($15,795) and sporty, top-of-the-line SX ($17,195).
The Forte is 178.3 inches long, 69.9 inches wide and 57.5 inches high, which compares with 177.3 inches long, 69 inches wide and 56.5 inches high for the Civic (which also costs more -- starting at $15,305 and running as high as $25,190 for the 2009 models).
It's slightly shorter than the Corolla, which is 178.7 inches long, but here again, the Forte costs less. Corolla prices for 2010 range from $15,350 to $20,050.
Keeping the Forte bargain-priced is part of Kia's strategy to compete against Japanese models that U.S. consumers generally consider to have better quality.
Hyundai, Kia's parent company, uses the same pricing strategy for most of its vehicles -- not because it believes its cars are worth less, but because consumers generally don't seem willing to pay as much as they would for a Toyota, Honda or Nissan product. Besides, price is a strong motivator when trying to pry consumers away from tried and trusted brands such as Civic and Corolla.
Kia says the SX model has a more athletic profile, aided by 17-inch alloy wheels and premium P215/45R17 tires.
The Forte has more standard content than its key competitors, as well, which helps add to the value.
The automaker says the Forte's specially engineered body has high torsional stiffness that enhances the car's handling and ride quality, giving it "greater refinement than its competitors."
Featuring front-wheel drive, the Forte LX and EX models are powered by a 156-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which has 144 foot-pounds of torque. This compares with 132 horsepower for the base and midlevel Corolla models and 158 horsepower for the optional 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine in the Corolla. The base engine in the Civic has 140 horsepower.
The Forte SX comes with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 173 horsepower, which is more than that of the competing Mazda3 as well.
LX and EX models come with a standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission. The SX has a six-speed manual or optional five-speed automatic with manual-shift feature.
With the 2.0-liter engine, EPA mileage ratings are 25 mpg city/34 highway with either transmission. The 2.4-liter engine has ratings of 22/32 with the manual and 23/31 with the automatic.
A special "Fuel Economy Package" is offered on the EX model with the 2.0-liter engine. It includes the five-speed automatic gearbox and brings EPA ratings of 27 city/36 highway.
Among features that help boost this model's mileage are electric power steering, a "smart" alternator, silica tires and aerodynamic body enhancements.
The SX model comes with a sport-tuned suspension and larger front brakes.
Inside, the Forte has 96.8 cubic feet of passenger space, including ample rear knee room. The trunk is the largest in the class with 14.7 cubic feet of space -- more than some popular midsize sedans.
There is room for five, although the middle position in the rear is not full-size and is suitable only for kids.
Standard are cloth seats, three-gauge instrument cluster with red lighting, six-way adjustable driver's seat, tilt steering wheel, rear defroster and dual 12-volt power outlets.
EX and SX models come with air conditioning, power windows/mirrors/door locks with remote, map lights, cruise control (with steering-wheel controls for this and the radio), front and rear cup holders, and floor mats.
The EX Premium Package adds a power moon roof and 16-inch alloy wheels, and the EX Leather Package brings leather seating surfaces, heated front seats, leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel, and metal interior trim.
With the SX model comes a unique black interior that has sport cloth fabric with red stitching, a telescopic steering column, special gauge cluster, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and metal-finish trim and pedals.
Optional on the SX are the power moon roof and leather seats with front seat warmers.
The standard audio system has AM/FM/compact disc/MP3 playback, four speakers and Sirius satellite radio with three months of free service; an auxiliary jack that allows for connection of an iPod or other music player; and Bluetooth connectivity.
Safety features include front seat-mounted side air bags, roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for both rows, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, electronic stability control with traction control and a tire-pressure monitoring system.
G. Chambers Williams III
San Antonio Express-News
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