The 2019 Kia Forte shines in a sea of bare-bones compact cars. This well-appointed four-door sedan is available in four trim levels, is powered by a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter engine, and introduces Kia’s first in-house Intelligent Variable Transmission in select trims. It’s not necessarily a head-turner, but the 2019 Kia Forte will take you from point A to B in comfort.
What's New for 2019
The 2019 Kia Forte sedan has been redesigned for the 2019 model year (Kia has been quiet on the hatchback Forte5 front). In addition to design tweaks, the Forte also receives a new standard eight-inch touchscreen infotainment display screen across all trims, featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. The most notable upgrade is the Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) – offered as standard in all 2019 Kia Forte trim levels except the base FE, where it’s a $900 upgrade. Also, a few more active safety technologies are standard, including forward collision warning and lane departure warning.
Choosing Your Kia Forte
Kia focuses on simplicity for the 2019 Forte. The standard engine across all Fortes is the reliable 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission comes standard with the base FE trim, while the LXS, S, and EX trims all receive the IVT. Each Forte is front-wheel drive. With the manual transmission, the Kia Forte returns an EPA-estimated 27 miles per gallon city, 37 mpg highway, and 31 combined. The IVT improves fuel economy dramatically to 30/40/34 mpg (city/highway/combined), or 31/41/35 mpg on the base model.
The sky is the limit with the value offered by the redesigned 2019 Kia Forte. Each trim offers something unique for different consumers. For the money, the S trim is quite impressive, with standard keyless entry, improved audio, and power functions. Coming in at just over $26,000, an EX with the EX Launch Edition package is also a pretty good value to consider.