The new 2019 Kia Forte 4-door sedan has now been officially unveiled, giving us the perfect opportunity to dig a little deeper on what it delivers.The new design is certainly more mature, and it now comes equipped with the highly efficient 2.0-liter engine mated to an i-CVT transmission. The new Forte was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and it looks set to offer stiff competition to the likes of the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and VW Jetta.
Exterior design of 2019 Kia Forte
The first thing that jumps out on any vehicle is the exterior, and the new design of the Forte looks to be Euro-inspired, with a sporty look that borrows elements from the great looking Kia Stinger sports sedan. The hood is now longer, courtesy of the windshield being moved back a full 5 inches. The roofline is also longer, which helps with the sporty styling. You can definitely see the influence of the Stinger in the headlight design and the sculpting of the hood. The now familiar Kia tiger nose grille is still there, but it is a more refined version that looks great. The new Forte comes with a high beltline that makes the roof seem somehow lower. An impressive side character line runs from the headlights to the LED lights in back, as well as across the lid of the trunk. The vehicle appears wider in back, and that carries forward to the front, where deep vents add real width.
Interior
A clean, horizontal design style has been employed for the interior of the Forte, with elements of the Stinger once again carried over. The design is particularly smart, as it makes the cabin feel really spacious, which is very nice when combined with the use of soft touch materials throughout. The new vehicle is longer, which means additional legroom. Taller riders will love the extra ½ inch of headroom space, as well as the extra 0.7 inches of width. Cargo space is excellent, with the trunk expanding from 14.9 cubic feet to 15.1 in the new model.
Engine specs & transmission
The base engine on the 2019 Forte 4-door sedan is a 2.0-liter Nu 4-cylinder that uses Atkinson Cycle technology and a cooled EGR system, both of which are usually found in hybrid cars. Both systems are designed to improve fuel efficiency. You will have the choice of pairing the engine with either a 6-speed manual transmission or the new i-CVT. Both the engine and the transmission were designed and built in house, and are part of the Kia Smart Stream powertrains that the automaker will be introducing in future models. The power and torque numbers on the new Kia Forte sedan are expected to be the same as the outgoing model, which means 147-horsepower and 132-lb.-ft. of torque. Kia were all about improving efficiency in this model, though, and they have done that with this powertrain. The all-new 2019 Forte will deliver a combined 35 MPG, which is 3 MPG better than before. The official numbers will be released by Kia when the new model arrives in showrooms later this year.
On-sale date
We are not yet totally sure when that release date will be, but out best guess would see the new 2019 Kia Forte hit the US market sometime this spring or summer. As soon as we hear the official release date, we will pass on the info. (Pics: KMA, freep
