2011 Kia Forte5 Review

By Wade Ozeroff - Toronto Sun

Kia's on a roll and knows it. The company's newly discovered sense of styling, apparent in the well-received Soul compact crossover and latest-generation Sportage, is taking its rep beyond the econobox base-car roots with which it began operations on our side of the Pacific in 1999.

The Korean manufacturer is proving it can make vehicles that are aesthetically appealing and mechanically sound, and gaining traction among buyers who wouldn't have considered them five years ago.

The relatively new Forte compact line gains a third model for 2011 (in addition to the sedan and "Koup" two-door), which should push the brand even farther into mainstream acceptance.

Search available options for the 2011 Kia Forte 5-door.

Appropriately named the Forte5-door (all one word), the hatchback member of the family is the first to feature six-speed transmissions as standard issue, in both manual and automatic variations.

Two engine choices are available for the car - the company's multipurpose mainstay 2.4 litre four-cylinder and a 2.0 litre powerplant that aims to maximize fuel economy.

Either choice brings adequate horsepower for the car's small frame, though the 2.4 feels smoother to me, and less noisy when pushed into a game of pass-the-garbage-truck on the highway.

The suspension (MacPherson struts up front, independent coil-and-spring with torsion beams in the rear), gives it a smooth-feeling, bump-absorbent ride comparable to most competitors; and the fairly industry-standard steering rig (power-assisted rack and pinion) factors in for good road manners and handling for a small and light vehicle such as this.

Now, I've only driven the automatic version of the five-door, so keep your eyes on Autonet down the road for a look at the stickshift version; but the overall feel is very good, inside and out.

It outdoes its siblings in interior convenience and accessibility with its hatchback body style, boasting good head-and-legroom in both rows and offers a comfortable and quiet interior thanks to improved sound insulation and a focus on NVH control by Kia's designers.

The seats employ a basic range of adjustment that manages to be comfortable and flexible enough for long drives (though I'd like to see lumbar support offered), and materials used throughout the cockpit have a sturdy, soft-touch quality in the various plastics and polymers. The rear seats fold nearly flat for cargo space.

The newest Forte is available in three trim levels (LX, EX, SX), each of which advance the price noticeably and bring an incrementally better level of standard equipment. If you want the larger engine you have to opt for the SX, for example, and the base-model LX doesn't include telescoping steering column.

All Forte wagons include ESC, ABS brakes, traction control and electronic brake-force distribution, however.

Outwardly, the five-door is as attractively styled as you're likely to find in a compact hatchback. The appearance is the work of design director Peter Schreyer, whose European background influenced the appearance of the Soul (Schreyer previously worked for VW and Audi).

The roofline and rear-end are new, obviously, and the front end receives the same tweaks for 2011 as the Koup and sedan; good-looking grillwork reminiscent of the latest Sportage.

Kia's confidence in the Forte's ability to compete head-to-head with the big dogs in the class - Toyota, Honda and, most notably, Mazda3 - is not misplaced; the whole package is well-executed and feels good inside and out.

The pricing, though, is where the Forte5-door may be a bit ambitious, as the MSRP climbs wildly as you advance through the trim levels.

The car enters the market at $16,695 for the cloth-upholstered LX with two-litre engine and manual shifter (and without telescoping steering wheel), but loading up an SX model (which brings the full range of desirable extra goodies: sport-tuned suspension, leather upholstery, 17-inch wheels, keyless start, and the 173-hp larger engine) can push the sticker all the way to a most un-Kia-like $26,195.

Read article: http://www.autonet.ca/autos/search/newmodels/2010/10/22/15790466-autonet.html

2011 Kia Forte5 Review

2011 Kia Forte5 Review

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