2010 KIA Forte 5 Door 2.0L DOHC 6AT FWD (156 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Kia introduced the five-door version of the Forte at the 2010 New York Auto Show, trying to survive in a market deeply affected by the world financial crisis.

Those dark years of the motor industry saw prestigious automakers collapse and different alliances formed to prevail. Yet Kia didn’t need that. Instead, it survived together with Hyundai, its parent company. In a way, the world financial crisis was an opportunity for the Korean carmaker since customers tried to buy cars with pennies. And Kia offered just that: many features and amenities for low money. In addition, the automaker managed to get rid of the older, not-so-popular nameplate Spectra and introduced the Forte. Its strategy worked.

The Forte was not only an affordable vehicle. First and foremost was also a good-looking one. Its sharp lines belonging to the new-edge design trend, made it look fresh. In addition, the chromed trim surrounding the grille sported the “Tiger nose” design signature introduced by Peter Schreyer on the facelifted cee’d in 2009. From its profile, the compact hatchback featured an unusual design on the D-pillars that allowed the carmaker to install a third window behind the rear doors.

Clearly, the interior was not garnished with the best quality materials on the market. Yet, these were decent, and customers forgave it since the cabin was well-designed. Fronting the driver, the instrument cluster featured a large speedometer in the middle flanked by the tachometer on the left and the fuel-level gauge on the right. Depending on the trim level and options, the car featured paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, which was unusual for such a budget-friendly vehicle.

Under the hood, the Forte received a range of two inline-four engines paired either with a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic.