INTRODUCTION: Kia introduced their Forte to replace
the aging Spectra in the United States in 2010 (in most countries, it’s
referred to as the Cerato, so it was essentially a “redesigned” Spectra, and
was just renamed, and in this overview, we’ll refer to the Cerato as the Forte).
As time progressed though, the Forte became a “run-of-the-mill” compact sedan,
and blended in with the marketplace. For 2014, Kia once again redesigned the
Forte, giving it an entirely new look, updated power trains, and better driving
dynamics. Will the all-new 2014 Kia Forte stack up to its competitors, such as
the Chevrolet Cruze, Dodge Dart, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, and Toyota Corolla?
Only time will tell.
EXTERIOR: Taking just one look at the all-new Kia Forte
and you’ll see why Vincent’s Auto Reviews refers to it as the “Baby Optima”.
Taking styling cues from the rest of its lineup, Kia clearly designed its new
Forte to stand out. With Kia’s corporate front grille, swooped tail lamps in
the rear, and a flowing design, it’s an interesting car to look at. With a
choice of either sixteen-inch steel wheels with plastic wheel covers,
sixteen-inch alloy wheels, or seventeen-inch sport-styled alloy wheels, a Forte
buyer will have their choice of how they want to style their ride. Available in
many striking exterior colors, there’s one for everyone.
INTERIOR: Continuing onto the interior, Kia excelled
with their new Forte. The gauges are well laid out and easy to read, and a
central monochromatic display is also large and won’t wash out in direct
sunlight. The pattern on the standard cloth seats is a rather cool design,
without being too overbearing, and optional perforated leather seats mimic
those of luxury cars. The Forte is also loaded with countless standard
technological features, but we’ll discuss them in the next section. The front
seats are supportive, and provide adequate comfort, whether it's for the daily
commute, or for longer road trips. Clearly the Forte doesn’t have that “rental
car”-like interior that the previous generation car used to feature.
STANDARD FEATURES: Even the base Kia Forte LX comes
with plenty of standard features, such as Bluetooth for a Bluetooth-enabled
wireless phone or A2DP-enabled media streaming device, 3.5-milimeter auxiliary
audio input and iPod/USB input jacks (the iPod feature requires a special adapter
available from Kia as an accessory and is therefore not included with the car,
a bit tedious), an A/M-F/M stereo with SIRIUS-XM satellite radio and a
six-month trial subscription compliments of Kia, four speakers, power door
locks, cloth seats, and color-keyed side mirrors, door handles, and other
exterior components, and these are just a few of the many standard features
that the Forte has to offer to buyers. Kia leads the way for other automotive
manufacturers when it comes to a high level of standard equipment.
POWER: The Kia Forte comes with two different engine
options. The base LX offers a 148-horsepower, 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder
(I4). The upgraded EX offers a 173-horsepower, 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder
(I4). All Fortes, of course, are front-wheel-drive (FWD). If you want the
six-speed manual transmission, you’ll have to opt for the base LX. A six-speed
automatic transmission with manual shifting mode is standard and is the only
available transmission on the upgraded EX, and is optional on the base LX.
PRICING: A base 2014 Kia Forte LX with a manual transmission
starts at $15,900, excluding all taxes and tags, and destination fees. Add the
LX Popular Package for an additional $900, and you’ll get keyless entry, power
windows with one-touch auto-down front windows, steering wheel-mounted audio
system controls, sixteen-inch alloy wheels, power heated side mirrors, and
more. The upgraded Forte EX starts at $19,500, which again excludes taxes and
tags and destination fees. The EX without options is adequate, but there are
two additional packages available. The EX Premium Package, which adds $2,600,
adds heated front seats, power dual front seats, and more, and the EX
Technology Package, which adds $2,300 in addition to the cost of the EX Premium
Package, adds heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, the
upgraded Kia Uvo System powered by Microsoft with integrated touch-screen,
voice-activated GPS navigation system, a power sunroof, and more. A
fully-loaded 2014 Kia Forte EX with EX Premium Package and EX Technology
Package will ring up to $25,500, excluding any and all available accessories,
tax and tags, and destination fees. Vincent’s Auto Reviews recommends the base
2014 Kia Forte EX, without options, which will be the most cost-effective 2014
Kia Forte for buyers to purchase.
SUMMARY: Vincent’s Auto Reviews thinks that the
all-new 2014 Kia Forte is a good bet for anyone looking for a fun-to-drive,
well-priced compact sedan that offers excellent features and a long warranty
(10 years/100,000 miles, not a typo). Go take the Forte for a test-drive
yourself, and see what makes it such a good vehicle for you.
-Vincent D., Vincent’s Auto Reviews
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