New Kia Forte 2024 Models, Changes, Price – Despite its enormous load capacity and seating for five, the Forte is not a crossover vehicle. The four-door sedan will fight against other sedans that withstood the SUV onslaught; the Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic, and Toyota Corolla are the targets. The Forte appears to be the larger vehicle due to its slanted windshield and extended wheelbase.
With its shorter headlamps and reworked bumpers, the revised nose elevates the design; it boasts an abundance of lines without appearing crowded or gaudy. The Forte’s plainer sides and decklid are dressed up with a minor spoiler and more attractive taillights to conceal its economy-car design. The GT trim level adds bigger wheels and black accents.
2024 Kia Forte Redesign
The cockpit of the 2024 Kia Forte features an 8.0-inch touchscreen, a clean design, simple climate settings, and stylish circular vents. While the FE versions include more hard plastic and cloth upholstery, the other variants provide a softer touch and matte metallic embellishments. The GT-Line and GT Forte sedans feature contrast stitching, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, and perforated synthetic leather upholstery.
With its shorter headlamps and reworked bumpers, the revised nose elevates the design; it boasts an abundance of lines without appearing crowded or gaudy. The Forte’s plainer sides and decklid are dressed up with a minor spoiler and more attractive taillights to conceal its economy-car design. The GT trim level adds bigger wheels and black accents.
Interior
The 2024 Kia Forte seats four or five passengers, but its 15.3-cubic-foot trunk dwarfs its dimensions. It’s a 6, with the box scoring an additional point. The Forte’s seats do not earn extra points, even though they provide appropriate support and space for two tall individuals upfront. The 6-way manual front seats in the Forte are standard in fabric but may be changed to synthetic leather on higher trim levels. They also include power adjustment for the driver and front heating and cooling. The GT model features side-hugging sport seats with firm bolsters and additional support.
At 182.7 inches long and 106.3 inches wide, the Forte is not nearly as large as a Civic or a Jetta, but its rear bench seat gives 35.7 inches of legroom, which is plenty for a 6-footer to travel behind another 6-footer. While Forte FE models do not feature a fold-down rear seatback, other trim levels do. The Forte LXS, GT-Line, and GT all feature superior interior materials. They have red stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and more metallic trim. The GT-Line and GT models have more metallic trim.
Engine
The 2024 Forte is driven by a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine producing 147 horsepower, and 132 pound-feet of torque in the FE and GT-Line trim levels. With a curb weight of between 2,769 and 3,079 pounds, the car’s strength is in its fuel economy; acceleration is not. When coupled to a CVT that sloshes between gears to keep the engine humming near its peak power output, it moves slowly and is quite noisy. When driven cautiously, it reacts gently. On the other hand, if the Forte GT’s 201-horsepower 1.6-liter turbo-4 is paired with the 6-speed manual transmission rather than the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, it receives a 6. It accelerates to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds thanks to 195 lb-ft of torque.
This car hasn’t been driven with a manual transmission yet, but it has to be better than Kia’s dual-clutch gearbox, which shifts like a yo-yo.When the sport driving mode is selected and the accelerator is repeatedly depressed, the dual-clutch reacts consistently to gearchange demands; otherwise, it searches for the correct cog, which becomes annoying at city speeds. Additionally, the Forte’s handling is weak. The base cars have a simple torsion-beam rear suspension that is good at absorbing the effects of bumpy roads.The GT’s rear suspension is independent, which means it does not dampen the car’s substantial lean into bends or rapid lane changes. For sportier driving, the Forte would be ideal; for more thrilling driving, consider the Civic Si or the Hyundai Elantra N Line.
2024 Kia Forte Release Date and Price
The $20,085 Forte includes power features, a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability. Upgrade to the LXS for a more upscale interior and a split-folding rear seat—or to the $22,885 GT-Line for a larger display.