Kia Inches Closer to Forefront

A Kia Once was Considered a Poor man's Hyundai. That's not much of a compliment because until recently a Hyundai was seen as a poor man's Honda.

But now the Kia brand finally is getting some respect from its Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. overlords, who, after lavishing attention and money on the Hyundai brand (see the Genesis), finally have tossed some won in Kia's direction.

Evidence of the emergence of a new Kia has been building slowly and subtly with each new model launch or redesign.

But the March debut of the '10 Soul blew the slow-and-steady improvement track to shreds, showcasing a bold new direction that places a high priority on styling, a longtime problem area for Kia.

The '10 Forte compact, replacing the Spectra and on sale now, is more evidence the newest models are not your older brother's college roommate's Kia.

Forte SX testers driven in Seattle boast great fit-and-finish and materials inside, a competent large 4-cyl. under hood and scads of creature comforts (including standard Bluetooth and Sirius XM Satellite radio), all meant to appeal to the most discerning compact-car shoppers.

As a result, the Forte is just a step away from same-breath mention with the segment's sales leaders.

But there is a downside. The cabin is not as quiet as the Toyota Corolla's; its 6-speed manual lacks the crispness of the Honda Civic's gearbox; and the Kia loses style points to the sharp, all-new Mazda3.

The new Forte represents a definite step forward from the homely, rental-car look of the Spectra. But the Kia mimics the Civic from the A-pillar forward, with a nearly identical wide, thin grille. And, unlike the Mazda3, it lacks any truly unique characteristics that set it apart.

The Forte is longer and wider than the Spectra, but front and rear tracks have been shortened. Surprisingly, the latter change hasn't negatively impact handling, as the Forte SX is feline-esque in toss-ability and road-gripping character.

Helping provide that well-planted feel are the larger front stabilizer bar and firmer springs, unique to the SX trim.

The Forte SX comes standard with a 2.4L I-4, part of Hyundai-Kia's Theta world engine family. Ward's 10 Best Engines judges never have found the engine family particularly captivating.

In this application, acceleration is good, but engine noise is more pronounced than that of the Civic 1.8L 4-cyl. The aural feedback may be exaggerated purposely for the SX, the “sport” grade of the Forte. More refinement is needed.

The SX has two transmissions available: a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual. The automatic actually offers the sportier feel, with very quick shifts.

The 6-speed manual, Kia's first, needs work. The clutch, although it engages quickly, suffers from too much pedal travel. Shifter throws are long and gear engagements sloppy.

For both transmissions, gear ratios are tall, requiring downshifting to third or even second to access even meager torque. But improved highway fuel economy is a bonus of this scheme.

In an automatic SX, Ward's averaged 32.1 mpg (7.3 L/100 km) on a roughly 50-mile (80-km) route, with speeds of about 50 mph (80 km/h). A Forte SX with the 6-speed manual returned a slightly higher 32.9 mpg (7.1 L/100 km).

On paper, the SX is rated at 32 mpg (7.4 L/100 km) highway with the manual and 31 mpg (7.6 L/100 km) with the automatic, better than the Civic Si, rated at 29 mpg (8.1 L/100 km). However, the Civic Si's 2.0L makes 197 hp.

The Forte's interior is impressive, with fit-and-finish — including the tricky point where pillar trim meets the headliner — on par with the top Japanese compacts.

Some minor flashing on an SX passenger-door pocket is the only apparent flaw on our test car.

Due to early buyer feedback in Korea, the silver painted finishes, optional on Forte's EX trim and standard on SX, soon will be replaced. Arriving in late summer is a richer-looking titanium-toned paint, and chrome now will ring center-stack knobs. Both are improvements.

Overall, the '10 Kia Forte is a good car for the money. The LX model begins at $13,695 sans $695 destination and handling. The '09 Civic DX with a value package begins at $15,505 with a smaller engine and less techno gadgets.

However, power windows, which are standard on the Civic are not so on the Forte, a potential deal-breaker for some.

Kia declines to reveal sales goals for the car, but once the economy gets back on track, it shouldn't be difficult for the Forte to exceed Spectra's best annual tally of 73,474 units in 2007.

'10 Kia Forte SX

Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 4-door sedan

Engine: DOHC 2.4L 4-cyl. with aluminum head, block

Power (SAE net): 156 hp @ 6,200 rpm

Torque: 168 lb.-ft. (186 Nm) @ 4,000 rpm

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Wheelbase: 104.3 ins. (265 cm)

Overall length: 178.3 ins. (453 cm)

Curb weight: 2,853 lbs. (1,294 kg)

EPA estimate: 22/32 city/hwy (10.7-7.4 L/100 km)

Base price range: $17,195 (SX) [$13,695 (LX), $15,795 (EX)]

Competition: Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Chevy Cobalt, VW Jetta, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus, Dodge Caliber, Nissan Sentra