Likes:
- Simple, elegant exterior styling
- Tight, quiet cabin and overall refinement
- Seating and cargo space
- Top tech and safety features standard on base model
Dislikes:
- Awkward clutch coordination for manual transmission
- Steering feel (hydraulic assist)
Kia has renamed its core small-sedan model the Forte to signal a new beginning for the brand in this segment, and it only takes a glance at the new model to understand why. It’s a really good-looking car. While the Spectra that preceded the Forte certainly wasn’t a bad car, its anonymous styling didn’t win many friends and its feature set was far from exciting.
Like the fashionable 2010 Soul, the 2010 Kia Forte merits a new trip to the Kia dealership and perhaps a new look at Kia, which is quickly shedding its reputation for dowdy vehicles. The Forte has many of the elements of much more expensive cars, yet it’s still one of the least expensive small sedans.
Thank Kia’s new design studio in California for creating such a clean, assertive, and attractive look for the 2010 Forte. With smooth, clean sheetmetal and an uncluttered look in front and in back, the new Forte doesn’t go over the top and it’s likely to age well; even more to the point, the trim proportions are just right. The svelte Forte doesn’t have any awkward angles, and a nice wide stance from the front and back somehow matches the flowing, elegant roofline. Inside, the look is simple, with a smoother, more organic version of the teardrop center stack used in the Forte; the look is no-nonsense yet surprisingly upscale.
