The Kia Forte is an award-winning family car that has been showered with accolades for its roomy interiors, its safety features, and the infotainment system. However, the car has also drawn flak for its underpowered engines and for having a low fuel-economy. In fact, Forte’s fuel efficiency has been the cars major weakness as its rivals like the Honda Civic and Chevy Cruz have better fuel-efficiency numbers.
Until now, Kia’s strategy with regard to the Forte was based on style and comfort. However, it appears that the Korean carmaker is aiming to strengthen Forte’s market position by eliminating its weak points and accentuating its strong features. The recently revealed 2019 Kia Forte indicates that the upcoming versions will not only be longer but they will also deliver better fuel economy figures.
The redesigned Forte
The new 2019 Kia Forte is longer than its predecessor and its overall length has increased by 3.6 inches. The new model is 182.7 inches long and it bears the sportiness of the Kia Stinger. The car is also taller and roomier than the previous version. The dashboard has also been slightly repositioned to create more space.
The car will be offered in LX, S and EX model versions. The new Forte gets the standard infotainment system that is controlled by an 8.0-inch touchscreen. The system has standard features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 320-Watt Harman Kardon audio system. A wireless charging pad is also in the offering. The new Forte might be resembling a sports sedan but it still remains a compact family sedan at heart.
The engine
The 2019 Kia Forte is equipped with a 147 hp 2.0-litre inline-4 engine that runs on Atkinson cycle. The engine is meant for hybrid vehicles and hence it is not meant to be extremely powerful. Additionally, the Atkinson cycle serves to minimize fuel consumptions and hence the car delivers better fuel economy.
The fuel economy is also improved by the fact that the car will be coming with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) system. According to Kia, the car will be having a combined fuel economy figure of 35 mpg thanks to the CVT system. Some of the trims will be coming with a 6-speed manual transmission system.
Prospects in Dubai
Kia Forte is sold as Kia Cerato in Dubai and the Middle East where it mainly competes with the Toyota Corolla. It is generally preferred by customers who wish to buy an ‘eye-catching’ car in an affordable price range. The upcoming model will be more powerful than the outgoing one and the improved fuel efficiency will definitely give it an edge over the rivals.
