While a 6-speed manual is available, we love the DCT auto. Adding to the smile on your face is the 7-speed Dual Clutch automatic. Just right….Īnd give it the beans, and it pulls hard and sounds enthusiastic doing so, running up to redline, and making you grin. Not Fiat 124 Abarth loud, but not Hyundai Kona reserved. And it sounds terrific, the GT’s sport-tuned dual exhaust gives a throaty “whump” on startup and resonates with a deep purposeful growl. Pumping out a solid 201 horsepower and impressive 195 lb.-ft of torque at just 1,500 rpm, this is quality muscle. Under the hood is Kia/Hyundai’s familiar 1.6-liter, turbo 4-cylinder. This is one of the best sport sedans for the money! While the good looks, comfy interior and loads of tech could be enough to snag buyers, the GT is much more than that. You sit there and think, wow, I am getting a lot for my money.Īh yes. There’s even GT ambient lighting, featuring an illuminated GT logo on the dashboard! Looking around you notice lots of nice detailing, the aerodynamically-designed circular vents are handsome, the stylish speaker grilles for the excellent 320-watt, 8-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, metallic-trim throughout the cabin for a sporty look. Underneath that are well-marked controls for the dual-zone climate control, a tray for Wireless Phone Charging, and USB port. It also connects you to UVO eServices, including Roadside Assist, Vehicle Diagnostics and super handy stuff like remote lock/unlock of doors, remote closing windows and sunroof, even finding your Forte in crowded parking lot. In the center console the large 8-inch color touchscreen is nice and crisp, and holds a large cache of tech, including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Voice Recognition, Sirius XM and a helpful rearview monitor. There’s a nice analog 160 mph speedo and 180 mph tach, with a high-res, 4.2-inch TFT driver info display in between. The GT is an especially nice place to sit, with a thick D-shaped steering wheel with contrasting red stitching, sport seats with Kia SOFINO (leatherette, aka vinyl to you and me) and cloth are supportive with 10-way power adjustable for the driver, stitched GT logo, and red piping and stitching – they’re even heated and cooled – pretty darn ritzy at this price point! Up front, you notice the extra width, and also the design inspiration from the Stinger sport sedan. There’s a big trunk as well, and with a good-size pass through and folding rear seats, plenty of space for larger items. When the Forte was redesigned last year, it was made a bit larger, and it pays dividends especially in rear legroom and headroom. The interior continues the feeling of being a step above what you expect. We also would be tempted by the awesome looking but questionably named Snow White Pearl. Our Gravity Gray tester made the most of the GT package which includes red grille inserts, rear diffuser accents and gloss black mirror caps, side sills, and rear lip spoiler. The signature rear LED lamps give off a definite Audi vibe. We love the X-wing front LED headlamps, the traditional Kia “ Tiger Nose” grille, slit-style LED driving lights and separate fogs. Those rims really fill-out the fender line and give the Forte a hunkered-down, ready-to-play look. One of our favorite parts of the GT are the 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels, on our tester enjoying the available Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Summer Tires. Sometimes it takes just getting the little things together, but to our eyes, this is a great-looking small sedan. Key points were to give it a fastback-like profile, even though it is a sedan with a trunk. The Forte got a full redesign last year, Kia said much of its look was inspired by its handsome big brother the Stinger. And in the smaller cars, the new Civic Si is a delight, the new Corolla is good fun, and now we have the Kia Forte GT, and it may be the best of them all. As they like to say, these are the good old days. Heck they even put a turbo motor in the Mazda 6. The new Toyota Camry is excellent and fun. In fact, struggling to stay relevant has brought some of the best 4-doors to market that we’ve seen in a long time. But the sedan isn’t ready to throw in the towel yet. And the numbers don’t lie, SUV crossovers are king. That small crossovers like the Hyundai Kona or tall hatchbacks like the Mazda CX30 will pushing them out. Many have said that the small car is on the way out.
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