2019 Kia Forte

[TC]

The 2019 Kia Forte sedan makes its debut with a sleeker, more coupelike exterior at the 2018 Detroit auto show. Kia says that its compact sedan takes design cues from the Stinger to give it a more aggressive appearance. With its updated powertrain and an all-new CVT option, the 2019 Forte aims to be stylish and fuel efficient.

Unlike most compact sedans, the 2019 Kia Forte adopts a cab rearward exterior, giving it a fastback silhouette and a short trunklid. Designers moved the cowl back 5 inches to achieve this look while giving the car a more planted appearance on the road. Out back, the 2019 Forte has a trim piece connecting both of its taillights, similar to the Sportage crossover. The car has also been stretched by 3.2 inches, making it 182.7 inches long and allowing for more legroom and a larger trunk that now measures 15.1 cubic feet. It also grows slightly in width by 0.7 inch to 70.8 inches and is a half-inch taller at 56.7 inches, improving headroom.

Compared to the outgoing model, the 2019 Kia Forte features a stronger body made of 54 percent advanced high-strength steel and expects the car to receive top crash test scores from the IIHS. The seat frames are also stronger yet lighter, and the body-in-white is 16 percent stiffer. According to Kia, the 2019 model?s new motor-driven power steering system should minimize the artificial feel and friction while the revised suspension geometry improves handling. Throttle and braking feel have also been reworked to smooth out tip-in response and achieve better stopping performance.

Under the hood is a carryover 2.0-liter I-4 running on the Atkinson cycle and is estimated to make 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque. It can be couple to either a standard six-speed manual or Kia?s first CVT, dubbed Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT). The automaker worked to ensure its first gearless transmission didn?t have a rubber band feel, which resulted in the addition of a ?shifting? logic to make it feel like a conventional automatic. It also features a chain-type belt to help reduce the rubber band effect. Kia wrapped the transmission case in a sound-insulating cover to improve NVH and to ensure that the CVT doesn?t get noisy. The Korean automaker is expecting the new powertrain combination to get 35 mpg in the combined cycle.

Inside, the 2019 Forte comes standard with an 8.0-inch touchscreen, which is the centerpiece of its minimalistic cabin. The updated infotainment system comes standard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on all models and can now read text messages on phones linked via Bluetooth. Additional features include full LED headlights, a 320-watt Harman Kardon premium audio system, and a wireless phone charger. A full suite of active safety tech will be offered on the 2019 Kia Forte including blind-spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, which bundles together automatic emergency braking and forward collision braking.

Look for the 2019 Kia Forte to go on sale later this year. A hatchback variant should follow sometime after the sedan, possibly with a 201-hp turbo-four engine option.

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Handsome little car. I think Kia struck on something good with the Stinger design language.

 

[Blind_Io]

CVT. Ewwwww

 

[TC]

CVT. Ewwwww

After driving some of Honda's latest CVT's, I've changed my view on them. But at least Kia is still offering a 6 speed manual on these.

 

[bone]

i've never experienced CVT in a car

but if has got enough power, and keeps the engine in the powerband all the time, i think it must be a blast!
if it's just there for economy, never mind...

 

[CraigB]

Only ever driven our 2010 Altima with the CVT. The consistent RPM while accelerating is sort of annoying, but get it right in the meaty part of the torque curve and effortlessly will get up to speed without much drama.

 

[Blind_Io]

Maybe I'm old, but I've never driven a CVT that I like. I also don't trust their longevity compared to a traditional automatic or manual; I just don't think the technology and construction is ready for widespread use and I don't want to be the one stuck buying a new transmission at 100,000 miles because I rolled the dice on new technology.

When we were looking for a replacement sedan we checked out the Altima. First, the CVT was miserable to drive, I hated it. When I asked the sales guy about the longevity, he said confidently, "Nissan has never paid to replace one of these transmissions." Being a therapist, I tend to pay close attention to evasive answers - the wording and the way he said it came across as very rehearsed and even coached. It also didn't answer my question but was intended to assuage concerns about reliability and longevity.

It was enough that we decided to look for a car with a traditional transmission. Shortly after we purchased the Taurus, Nissan CVT problems became public knowledge. Despite the longer warranty, people are still complaining about slipping transmissions; the problems get especially bad around 120,000 miles - which is outside the extended warranty period. Some people have burned up three transmissions in that time. Some transmissions are slipping and overheating in as little as 50,000 miles. A new transmission installed will typically run about $3,500. I'm sorry, but a transmission should not be considered a wear-item like tires, brake pads, axle seals, and wiper blades.

This isn't just Nissan, I am only using them as an example. You can find complaints across all brands running CVTs of slipping transmissions, overheating, overreving, and outright failure in fairly young cars.

 

[TC]

Well, I'm sold.

 

[JCE]

Well, I'm sold.

I actually love that commercial. Its hilarious. I also like that new Forte, looks pretty good.

 

[93Flareside]

Is that actually a Kia ad? That has to be one of the best new car ads I?ve seen. :lol:

The Dodge Dart ad was good but in a different way. The Kia ad makes me feel as if this was made by Top Gear producers and writers.

 

[rickhamilton620]

As a relatively new owner of a 1st generation Forte:

I'm disappointed that they went with a CVT. Of course, with a 100,000 mile warranty, here's hoping Hyundai/Kia has done their due diligence. Others have played the "faux shifting" CVT game so color me skeptical about how it drives until I get my hands on one. The current Hyundai/Kia "A6" 6 speed box has been a favorite of mine since first experiencing it in the 2011 Sonata: smooth to a fault, quick to downshift when needed...it's a great slushbox for something that's not a DSG or a ZF 8 speed, IMO.

Kudos for keeping a MT, hopefully it's not souless to drive like most Korean MT's.

I wish there was a version with IRS but I'm sure the twist beam is fine and more refined than mine which is ok except for some mid corner bumps.

The fact that it's been a pretty reliable autobox too is icing on the cake - The Forte group i'm in has people well over 100k on the original fluid with absolutely no issues.

I love the look - it's sleek and IMO restrained despite the silly attempts at grafting on Stinger cues. LX trims will probably age well.

Interior is a huge step forward, I was never a fan of the current generation Forte's "ripple" themed interior - ripples on the door cards, ripples on the dashboard...just not a fan. The new one is, again, classy, conservative, and restrained. Glad that all have the touchscreen. Sad that rear door cards are completely hard touch plastic - 1st and 2nd gen cars had cloth/leatherette padded and wrapped sections in the doors - a nice touch.