2020 Kia Forte First Drive: Still in Two Basic Flavours

Victoria, B.C. - The Kia Forte has always been and continues to be the neglected close cousin of the Hyundai Elantra. In a segment dominated by the Honda Civic, which sold more than 69,000 units in 2018 in Canada, the Elantra has staked a spot in the top 3, with 41,784 units sold (behind the Corolla at over 48,000). Meanwhile, Kia sold 14,399 Fortes in Canada in 2018, down 4.4% from 16,388 in 2017.

In other words, three Elantras sell for every one Forte. Yet the two cars have a lot in common, like the chassis and the mechanics that are common to both vehicles.

Sedan or 5-door
In Canada, buyers continue to have the choice of a sedan or a 5-door version of the Forte. The former is assembled in Mexico and will be available in a few weeks across the North American continent. The latter will also arrive soon and is built in South Korea, and it will be a Canadian exclusive. In the US of A, anything with a hatchback that’s not also an SUV if of no interest to most consumers.

Trims and pricing
Before getting into our driving impressions, a word about the prices and models available.

Starting with the sedan (still the most popular version), the base price is set at $17,695 for an LX version with a 6-speed manual gearbox. You’ll pay at least $19,295 for the same version with a CVT (continuously variable transmission).

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