Kia Forte K3 2024 Release Date, Specs, Price – Despite its ample cargo room and five-seat capacity, the Forte is not a crossover vehicle. The four-door automobile competes mainly with the Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic, and Toyota Corolla; three sedans withstood the SUV attack. Because of its slanted windshield and extended wheelbase, the Forte looks like a bigger car.
The new nose, with its shorter headlights and reshaped bumpers, enhances the design; it has a profusion of lines without seeming cluttered or tacky. The traditional appearance of an economy car is hidden by adding a little spoiler and more beautiful taillights to the flanks and trunk lid of the 2024 Kia Forte. The GT variants include larger wheels and embellishments in black.
2024 Kia Forte Redesign
The Forte’s cockpit has an 8.0-inch touchscreen, a sleek appearance, simple temperature controls, and attractive circular vents. In contrast to the FE models’ firmer plastic and cloth upholstery, the other models offer soft-touch materials and matte-finished metallic components. The interiors of the GT-Line and GT Forte cars are made of perforated synthetic leather, and they also have contrast stitching and a flat-bottom steering wheel.
The new nose, with its shorter headlights and reshaped bumpers, enhances the design; it has a profusion of lines without seeming cluttered or tacky. The traditional appearance of an economy car is hidden by adding a little spoiler and more beautiful taillights to the flanks and trunk lid of the Forte. The GT variants include larger wheels and embellishments in black.
Interior
Although the 2024 Kia Forte accommodates four or five passengers, its trunk space of 15.3 cubic feet exceeds its size. The trunk is awarded one additional point compared to expected. Despite providing sufficient support and room for two tall passengers in front, the Forte’s seats do not score bonus points. The 6-way manually adjustable front seats of the Forte are available in synthetic leather on higher trims. Moreover, the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable, and the front seats are heated and cooled. With the GT, you get sport seats with greater support and side-hugging bolsters.
The Forte is not as spacious as the Civic or Jetta, at 182.7 inches in length and 106.3 inches in width, but its rear bench seat provides considerable leg room for two 6-foot-tall passengers. Other model levels offer a rear seatback that can be folded, but not the Forte FE. Additionally, the Forte LXS, GT-Line, and GT include inside materials of exceptional quality. Red stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and more metal accents set apart the GT-Line and GT models.
Engine
From the FE to the GT-Line trims, the 2024 Kia Forte is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four engine producing 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. With a curb weight between 2,769 and 3,010 pounds, acceleration is not the vehicle’s strong suit, but fuel economy is. It moves slowly and makes a lot of noise when paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that slips between gears to keep the engine humming around its maximum power output.
It reacts nicely when carefully driven. In comparison, the Forte GT’s 201-hp 1.6-liter turbo-4 engine would score a 6 if combined with a 6-speed manual transmission rather than a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. Due to the vehicle’s 195 lb-ft of torque, it can reach 60 miles per hour in 6.7 seconds. We haven’t driven it with the manual transmission, but it must be better than the Kia’s jerky shifts with the dual-clutch transmission.
When the Sport driving mode is chosen and the accelerator is continuously mashed, the dual-clutch responds consistently to gearchange requests; otherwise, it hunts for the proper cog, which is annoying at city speeds. Additionally, the Forte lacks proper handling. A simple torsion-beam rear suspension does a great job of absorbing the effects of bad roads on the lowest versions.
The independent rear suspension of the GT has little effect on the vehicle’s significant lean into corners or fast lane changes. Consider the Honda Civic Si or the Hyundai Elantra N Line for a more entertaining driving experience than the sporty Forte.
2024 Kia Forte Release Date and Price
Power features, a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty, and an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration come standard on the $20,085 Forte. Upgrade to the LXS for a nicer interior and a rear seat that folds in half, or spend $22,885 more on the GT-Line for a bigger screen.