In recent years, the average price of a new automobile transaction has increased more than ever, making it more difficult than ever to purchase a brand-new vehicle that is also enjoyable to drive. Fortunately, Kia disproves that idea with the Forte GT, the company’s high-performance version of the tiny sedan.
The Forte GT is a member of Kia’s lineup of GT vehicles, which are the company’s sportiest automobiles. With 18-inch alloy wheels, a firmer sport suspension, a performance exhaust system, and a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine producing 201 and 195 lb-ft of torque, Kia equips the Forte GT. When cold started, the dual-exit arrangement is shockingly loud, which we predict will appeal to buyers searching for a compact with more personality than the standard Forte. The vehicle we drove had a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, but for $1,000 more, Kia also sells a GT Manual grade that includes a six-speed manual gearbox as standard equipment and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires.
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How Does It Drive?
The Forte GT feels feisty off the line when you gun the pedal because there is a lot of torque steer available. It will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds, which is precisely the time required for its segment. Even when every seat is occupied by grownups on the motorway, there is still an abundance of power available when needed. The transmission offers crisp, quick shifts when the power is applied steadily. The dual clutch gearbox’s flaws are, however, exposed in slow moving traffic or on streets with frequent stop signs. Following an acceleration, it has a propensity to buck under braking and has a tendency to hesitate in reverse.
The transmission was at its best when we tested the Forte GT in the canyons. It revs out to redline with smooth throttle inputs and makes sharp upshifts. Under braking, it switches down anticipatorily. By using the paddle shifters, the driver is more actively involved and has more influence over the dual-clutch transmission’s operation.
The Forte GT is able to play well when cornering enthusiastically. The small vehicle maintains its grip in the corners despite having all-season tires. This was corroborated by our instrumented testing, which showed that the Forte GT performed better than average for compact cars fitted with equivalent tires, pulling an average of 0.87 g on our skidpad.
Three drive mode options are available for the Forte GT: Comfort, Smart, and Sport. While switching to Sport increases steering weight and awakens the motor, Comfort provides the most comfortable steering feel and throttle responsiveness. The Forte GT, according to Road Test Editor Chris Walton, offers “talkative handling and good balance on the skidpad.” The transmission isn’t nearly sophisticated enough to downshift and retain a gear on the skidpad even in Sport mode, he added in a separate comment.
The Kia Forte GT stopped steadily from 60 to 0 mph in 122 feet during our instrumented testing. It provides a good bite and feel to the brake pedal, enabling the driver to modulate the brake pedal smoothly. The Kia Forte GT’s tail end showed a tendency to skid out under severe braking into a corner at the track, but this adds to its eagerness and liveliness on twisting roads. Because of the sedan’s open communication style, it’s simple to get into a routine and navigate tricky terrain with confidence.
The Forte GT performs well on winding roads and poorly in heavy traffic. In stop-and-go traffic, the dual-clutch transmission struggles, and the harsh suspension shakes passengers as the vehicle crosses bumpy or uneven terrain. When purchasing a Forte GT, prospective purchasers should keep this in mind because most people probably won’t want to put up with its non-adaptive sport-tuned suspension arrangement.
Are Features the Forte’s Forte?
Metal pedal covers, contrast stitching, and a comfortable-to-hold leather-wrapped steering wheel are all advantages of the Forte GT. Even though the current generation of the Forte GT was introduced for the 2018 model year, its inside has already begun to seem obsolete. The majority of the surfaces are made of hard plastic, however the door cards and armrests have soft padding. With cleaner, more attractive cabins, a large portion of the competitors has surpassed the Forte’s interior design.
The GT2 package from Kia costs $2,200 and adds a number of practical, aesthetically pleasing, and comfortable improvements that significantly improve the cabin’s appearance. In addition to having an electric parking brake, auto-hold brakes, heated and ventilated front seats, LED interior lighting, rear parking sensors, a power sunroof, a premium Harman Kardon eight-speaker audio system, synthetic leather seats with GT logos, highway driving assistance, and forward collision avoidance assist with cyclist detection, our GT2-equipped test car also had these features. It’s important to note that this item cannot be added to the Forte GT Manual model.
A 10.3-inch touchscreen with navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, keyless entry and push-button ignition, dual climate control, and fully LED exterior lighting are standard on every Forte GT. We particularly liked using the remote start function on the Forte GT to hear the exhaust start up from the outside. It has a lot of features, especially when compared to its compact sedan class rivals with less sporty starting prices of $24,515.
Is the Forte GT Right for Me?
The 2022 Kia Forte GT’s base price is $26,870, which is around $1,500 less than its closest competition, the 2022 Honda Civic Si (manual only). As a result, the Kia presents a compelling case for itself with a wealth of feature options and enough sportiness to excite on winding roads. However, paying more for the Honda might be worthwhile for those who intend to use their vehicle primarily for recreational purposes, particularly since the Civic Si makes use of a standard limited-slip front differential.
The Forte GT isn’t the most extreme sports sedan, but it can be fun to drive enthusiastically and is loaded with enough technology to function as a well-equipped daily driver. However, given its cheap beginning price and continued affordability even after adding the GT2 package with its wealth of features, car lovers with a desire for more are free to purchase their own summer tires if they wish to make their vehicle even more capable. Kudos to Kia for preserving the dream of an inexpensive sport sedan.
Has the Kia Forte GT a turbocharger?
The Forte GT does not fall short when it comes to Kia GT speed. The Forte GT’s 1.6L turbocharged engine is housed under the hood and gives it lightning-fast acceleration.
How quick is the Kia Forte?
The Kia Forte’s top speed The 201 horsepower engine’s noteworthy feature is the tiny sedan’s strong and reliable performance. The Kia Forte has an astounding 120 mph peak speed.
A Kia GT’s top speed is.
Knowing a car’s specifications before you take it for a test drive is great. The Kia K5 GT-line has a top speed of 155 miles per hour.
The Kia K5 GT in 2022 is absurdly quick. By all means, this car qualifies as a sports sedan. Additionally, the Kia K5 GT accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.2 seconds thanks to its 2.5-liter turbocharged engine.
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The Kia Forte GT Lineis it a sporty vehicle?
The GT-Line isn’t particularly quick because it has the same engine as the original model and just adds exterior and interior aesthetic elements to the Forte. The 2022 Forte GT-Line reportedly reached a speed of 060 in 8.2 seconds and seemed “sluggish.”
The more potent Forte GT’s 1.6-liter turbo engine achieves a 060 time of 6.7 seconds. Both are decent for the price but neither is as quick as a Honda Civic.
How can I speed up my Kia Forte?
By removing the mufflers, the emissions (track only), and the exhaust pipes, you can boost the exhause flow.
By adding bigger headers and porting the head to the header, you may also boost flow.
Additionally, you ought to endeavor to smooth off any rough edges and port-match every single connecting point. Increased air intake flow can also be achieved by removing restrictions on the body, throttle, heads, and intake piping.
An easy approach to boost stock airbox flow rates is to add a K&N filter element.
However, if you want greater power, you need make sure your inner pipe walls are smooth, just like your exhaust, to make the air flow travel more easily.
All pipe connection points and the throttle body should be polished and ported. Port matching the intake manifold is another approach to increase flow.