Hard on the wheels of its funky, youth-oriented Soul hatchback, Kia returns to attack the mainstream compact car market with its 2010 Forte.
The feisty South Korean manufacturer sees an opportunity to capitalize on the woes not only of US automakers but also other Asians bemused as recession-shocked American buyers shun new cars and trucks.
Its firepower is the Forte (pronounced for-tay), aimed squarely at the customers of compacts who have favored the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cobalt and Mazda 3, along with others.
In 2008, despite a downturn brought on by the economic troubles, compacts accounted for nearly 1.9 million sales in an overall market of 13.2 million, or about 14 percent of the total. It is not a territory to be ceded.
For Kia, it is a formidable challenge to take on cars that have had decades to nurture customer loyalty. The Civic and Corolla together accounted for more than 690,000 sales in 2008.
Until this year, Kia's entry in the class was the Spectra, a car with a history of dismal reliability and not much to recommend it. Spectra sales in 2008 totaled 68,465.
Kia needed not only a new name but a new car as well. With the wagon-like hatchback Soul already teasing customers, Kia kept the new Forte as a more traditional entry.
Relying on Americans' demonstrated preference for sedans with trunks, the Forte was introduced as a compact four-door, with a two-door coupe waiting in the wings.
Technically, according to the federal government's classification, the Forte four-door falls into the mid-size class of cars, though just barely. The mid-size category covers cars with 110 to 119 cubic feet of total interior volume, including both passenger and trunk space. The Forte has 111.5 cubic feet. But it is marketed as a compact.
In designing its new contender, Kia's engineers and stylists put together a package with few compromises, especially in the peace of mind department. Even the base LX model, with a starting price of $14,390, comes with a full complement of safety equipment: four-wheel antilock disc brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution; traction and stability control; side air bags and side-curtain air bags, and tire-pressure monitoring.
The base LX even features a few unusual and welcome convenience goodies, including Sirius satellite radio and Bluetooth communications connectivity. However, if you want air conditioning, rear-seat cup holders and carpeted floor mats, you'll have to pay extra.
And you'll find that such common amenities as power windows, motorized outside mirrors, map lights, remote power locking and cruise control are not available at all on the LX. To get those, you must move up to the $16,490 EX model, which Kia expects will be the most popular version with about two-thirds of the sales.
The LX and EX models are powered by a 154-horsepower, 2-liter four-cylinder engine mated to either a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic transmission. Mileage-minded buyers can order a fuel-economy option that includes electric power steering, a five-speed automatic transmission and low-rolling-resistance tires.
The package delivers an EPA city/highway fuel economy rating of 27/36 miles to the gallon versus 25/34 without the enhancements.
At the top of the line is the tested SX model, which features a 173-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed automatic. City/highway fuel consumption is 23/31 with the automatic and 22/32 with the stick.
The SX starts at $17,890 with the six-speed. Add $1,000 for the automatic. Each test car also had a motorized sunroof ($600) and leather upholstery with heated front seats ($1,000), which brought the automatic-transmission model to a suggested delivered price of $20,490.
On the road, the Forte SX exhibits confident performance with few flaws. The 173-horsepower engine has adequate power, though the six-speed manual's shift linkage is a bit clunky and the clutch action a tad grabby. But the five-speed automatic shifts unobtrusively.
The Forte's steering has a nicely weighted feel and the suspension system delivers a balanced compromise between a comfortable ride and poised handling, remembering of course that this is a compact economy car and not a sports sedan.
With a hood that slopes down and away from the driver, visibility forward is excellent. Large pillars compromise rear-quarter vision, however, so it's important to get the outside mirrors adjusted way out to eliminate blind spots.
The front bucket seats offer decent support and enough manual adjustments, along with the tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, to accommodate most drivers. Cabin isolation is excellent, with little intrusion of wind, mechanical and road noises.
The Forte is listed as a five-passenger car, but you should skip the punishing center-rear position except for emergencies. The outboard positions, however, have enough head and knee room for six-footers, even with the headspace-robbing sunroof.
Notable is the Forte's generous trunk in this class of car -- nearly 15 cubic feet. In an impromptu test, it held two large male bodies, though not with much comfort. Organized-crime hit men may want to take note. The Forte doesn't attract as much attention as a stretched Lincoln Town Car.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service. For more columns, go to scrippsnews.com.)
DriveWays with KIA-SPECS
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