Shh…It’s a Sport Sedan On a Budget
The 2020 Kia Forte GT sneakily sits next to you at a stop light, imitating an otherwise common compact sedan. But the Forte GT has sporty cred, doing it at a price that will make you do a double take.
The third generation Forte, which was all-new in 2019, has evolved from primarily being viewed as a value proposition to a sedan that stylishly handles commuting and road trips with equal ease. New for 2020 are two sportier Forte versions, the GT-Line and GT, that add even more pizzaz to this stylish five-passenger car. The Forte GT-Line has only received cosmetic upgrades, while the GT has received performance, suspension, exhaust and other modifications that make it a serious contender against the Volkswagen GTI and Honda Civic Si.
GT Performance
The front wheel drive 2020 Kia Forte GT is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, good for a robust 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. There are three transmission choices on the GT. The first two are a six-speed manual and a continuously variable transmission, which in Kia-speak is called the i-CVT. The “i” stands for Intelligent, making it different from most other CVTs as it has both adaptive shift-logic and a chain-type belt. The latter addresses the common rubber band feel found on many CVTs. The shift-logic feature programs the CVT with pre-selected gear ratios that makes the transmission sound and feel like a traditional automatic.
Clean Fleet Report’s Forte GT had the third transmission option, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (DCT), which can be shifted manually or with paddle shifters. By design, a DCT is a manual transmission, but a computer does the shifting for you, so your launches are consistent. Opting for the Sport mode, 0-to-60 mph runs were around 6.4 seconds, which was good for a 3,079-pound car. The paddle shifters are fun, but not as fast as the DCT. If you are unfamiliar with a DCT, it will not be as smooth in slow or stop-and-go traffic. So make sure to drive a Forte with all three transmission choices to see which you like the most.
In addition to Sport, the other driver-selectable drive modes are Smart and Normal. Two were our favorites, Smart for highway cruising and maximum fuel efficiency, and Sport for being sporty. As an owner, you will spend more time in the Forte GT than we did, so the three modes will allow you to find which fits your driving style.
The EPA rates the 2020 Forte GT at 27 mpg city/35 highway/30 combined while running on 87 octane. In 480 miles of 65-percent highway/35-percent city driving we averaged 35.3 mpg. But over a 200-mile all-freeway run with the cruise control set at 65 mph, we averaged a very respectable 43.5 mpg. Fuel economy numbers reported by Clean Fleet Report are non-scientific and represent the reviewer’s driving experience. Your numbers may differ.
Driving Experience: On the Road
The electric power-assisted steering had good road feel and response. With its sport-tuned suspension, the Forte GT handles firm and flat in slow-to-medium tight cornering, but has some body roll when pushed hard. With 18-inch alloy wheels shod with P225/40R Michelin Sport summer tires, there was no tire slippage. The ride was stiff, which is good for spirited cornering, but while out on the freeway you knew when you drove over the most severe road imperfections. The ride reacted exactly like a sporty car does. No surprise.
The GT gets a revised rear suspension, larger brakes and a sport exhaust. The exhaust note is not overly abrasive, and has some cool pops and crackles to it, but sometimes it would be nice to drive in silence.
The Forte GT is ripe for playing with the engine, transmission and suspension. Find a straight section of road (deserted, of course!) and turn off the traction control, put it in Sport mode, and tromp on it. Next, do it using the paddle shifters, and finally with the traction control turned on. What you will notice is a quick-shifting DCT, an aggressive exhaust note with burbles on up and down shifts, and constant times in the mid-six seconds. The Michelin summer tires are sticky, aiding off-the-line acceleration and also when attacking mountain roads. This was a fun car to play with.
The ventilated front and rear solid disc brakes, assisted by the four-wheel anti-lock brake system, produced strong braking even after repeated pedal applications.
Driving Experience: Exterior
The 2020 Forte GT has a classic design with a long hood, a short trunk and a low 5.3-inch ground clearance to go with crisp lines and a fastback profile. GT design elements include a sport-tuned dual exhaust, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED projection headlights, and gloss-black front and rear fascias, side sills, heated outside mirrors and a small deck spoiler. All this will hold up well for many years to come.
Driving Experience: Interior
Clean Fleet Report was driving the fully featured Forte GT with the $2,200 GT2 package that included a power sunroof, wireless phone charging, heated and cooled front seats, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with Homelink. This package also included the up-market sounding Harmon Kardon premium audio system that has an 8.0-inch touch screen with navigation and the UVO eServices with Telematics. The eight-speaker audio system, with surround sound and a subwoofer, came with SiriusXM (three-month trial subscription), AM/FM/HD/CD/MP3, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Connectivity was through USB ports for iPod, Aux-in jacks, Bluetooth streaming audio and hands-free telephone.
Since you will be spending so much more time inside your Forte GT than outside, treating yourself to an option package, even at $2,200, will make your car a pleasure to walk-up to, but even nicer to sit in.
Our Forte GT had Sofino leatherette-trimmed front seats–10-way power adjustable for the driver and six-way manual adjustments for the passenger. The seats, black with red top-stitching and piping, had good thigh bolstering. The tilt and telescopic steering column made finding a comfortable driving position easy. Kia says the Forte can seat three adults in the 60/40 split folding rear seat, but for longer trips two adults would be more comfortable, then they could take advantage of the fold down arm rest with cup holders. Access was easy with ample head and leg room.
The cockpit layout is simple and clean with soft touch materials on the dash and door panels. Easy to read controls, such as the black gauges with white letters, include the cruise control on the right stalk, with telephone, navigation and audio housed on the multi-function, leather-wrapped steering wheel. The black, flat-bottomed steering wheel had red top stitching, which added a sporty touch.
It was nice to see the radio had knobs for on/off/volume and channel selecting, and the dual-zone automatic climate control wheels were a different size than those of the radio. This may not seem like a big thing, but it is when reaching for these very different controls in the dark–regardless of your familiarity with the dash layout.
The simplicity of the dash layout also made reading the gauges and operating the sound system easy. The sleek look of the dash is reminiscent of the Kia Stinger, and features soft and hard plastics, satin chrome accents and alloy bright sport pedals.
Safety
The 2020 Forte comes with safety and convenience features, including front, seat-mounted and full side curtain air bags, rear view camera, push button start/stop, remote keyless entry, a tire pressure monitoring system, compact spare, electronic stability control, traction control, vehicle stability management, hill start assist, an anti-theft engine immobilizer and four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes.
Kia’s standard advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) include forward collision warning and avoidance, lane departure and driver attention warning, and lane keeping assist. Optional safety systems include blind spot collision warning, rear cross traffic collision and parking distance warning, and pedestrian forward collision avoidance.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2020 Forte four out of five stars, but noted a safety concern, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the 2020 Forte as a Top Safety Pick. Speak with your Kia sales representative for the details.
Pricing and Warranties
The 2020 Forte sedan comes in five trim levels, with a choice of engines and transmissions. All prices are before options, and include the $965 destination charge.
FE 2.0L Six-speed manual $18,855
FE 2.0L IVT $19,755
LXS 2.0L IVT $20,255
GT-Line 2.0L IVT $21,455
EX 2.0L IVT $23,055
GT 1.6T DCT $23,455
GT 1.6T Six-speed manual $24,055
The 2020 Kia Forte comes with these warranties.
Powertrain – 10 years/100,000 miles
Basic – Five years/60,000 miles
Roadside – Five years/60,000 miles
Observations: 2020 Kia Forte GT
Value with a great warranty. For most people that would be all they need to know when looking at a 2020 Kia Forte. Then there is the Forte GT, which offers performance, style, handling and a way to add affordable driving excitement to your life.
The Kia Forte GT holds its own against comparable sport compacts, which is something unthinkable only a few years ago. Then Kia dropped the Stinger sport sedan on us. The Forte GT has benefitted greatly from what Kia designers and engineers learned from the Stinger, as it is influenced way more by the Stinger than just wearing a Kia badge.
Visit your Kia dealer and let your sales representative know, early-on, that you plan on driving the Forte GT a bit harder than someone looking for a more mundane compact sedan.
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Whatever you end up buying, Happy Driving!
Story & photos by John Faulkner (some photos supplied by the manufacturer)
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Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
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