Despite the growing popularity of crossovers, Kia?s best-selling model last year was the Forte sedan. Now, the automaker is overhauling one of the most important vehicles in its lineup.
Kia will debut the third-generation Forte sedan ahead of the Detroit auto show on January 15. Based on these renderings, we can tell the compact car receives a more refined look, taking design cues from the Stinger.
The 2019 Kia Forte will adopt a grille similar to the one on the Stinger. It will also receive its big brother?s swept-back design, a contrast to the cab-forward look of the previous model. The new Forte has more prominent air inlets in the front as well as a more interesting headlight design. In the back, look for new taillights connected together by a new horizontal strip.
nside, the Forte features a large, stand-alone infotainment screen and few extra buttons, signaling a departure from the old model. In addition to rectangular vents below the screen, the Forte gets new spoked circular vents similar to those on the Stinger.
The sketches look promising, but we?re hoping the new Forte will receive some improvements beneath the surface, too. We deemed the 2017 Forte a middling performer in its segment when we tested it during our 2017 Car of the Year competition. Although we liked the car?s features and styling, we lamented its firm ride and lackluster acceleration, as the Forte took 8.4 seconds to reach 60 mph.
