THE PROS & CONS
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- What’s Best: Five-door hatchback/wagon practicality mixed with a little extra performance edginess.
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- What’s Worst: OK, the SX will probably only make up a sliver of Forte5 sales, but wouldn’t a manual tranny version be nice? Hmmm? Just sayin’.
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- What’s Interesting: The Forte5 is one of the first products to roll off Kia’s latest plant in Monterrey, Mexico. Umm, sorry about that, Trumpy.
The Forte name, finding its roots in music, French and fencing, denotes strength, which seems fitting for a vehicle series within the important-to-Canada compact segment.
Tested here we have the Kia Forte5, a five-door hatchback slotted neatly between the Forte four-door sedan and the two-door Forte Koup.
The Forte5 lineup ranges in price from around $20-$30K and offers two engine choices, new technologies and numerous trim tweaks for the 2017 model year.
The Forte5 has been fortified (if I can make that play on words) with a mid-cycle refresh that has emboldened its design.
Following the styling lead of the latest-gen Optima, the Forte5’s new tiger-nose grille is wider and stronger, connecting with the edges of redesigned headlight assemblies that sweep sleekly around the front fenders.
The standard fog lamps have been revised. The character lines are crisper and more pronounced, the profile is sleek, and new taillights balance the edgier Euro-design in back.
The Forte5 lineup starts with a 2.0-litre direct injection four-cylinder engine with DOHC architecture and dual-cam variable valve timing (D-CVVT), contributing to 164 hp and 151 lb/ft of torque. Although this powertrain starts off being mated to a six-speed manual in the base LX+MT model, the bulk of the lineup, from LX to EX, comes with a new second-generation six-speed automatic.
Ah, but now for something just a little bit different.
Our tester, a top-of-the-line SX model ($29,895), comes loaded to the gills with equipment and extras.
Korean companies have always set the benchmark on dollar-value content, so even the lowest LX trim level model comes complete with electronic stability control, vehicle stability management, hill assist control, auto headlights, foglamps, A/C, keyless entry, heated front seats, a standard rearview camera and six-speaker audio system. And, as you rise through the trim levels, an impressive list of leather appointments and other extras get added.
So, by the time you get to the all-inclusive levels of this SX model, the inventory list features all the goodies added by the graduated trim levels, plus alloy pedals, ventilated front seats and an added integrated navigation system, among other items.
This particular SX tester also came dipped in an optional shade of Hyper Blue (+$200), an exclusive colour only available in SX trim. And, mimicking the original hot hatch, there’s a notable, bright red accent line slashing across the front, a la VW GTI, that must have had Vee Dub execs swooning into the arms of their lawyers.
Backing all this sport posturing, the SX bumps up the power ante with a 1.6-litre turbocharged T-GDI engine boasting the same DOHC D-CVVT technologies, but to a more muscular tune of 201 hp and 195 lb/ft of torque.
With most of that bottom-end oomph coming on strong at a low 1,500 rpm, the SX launches out of the gate with aplomb and even with a little tire squeal, to satisfy drivers in search of performance to go with their five-door practicality.
The SX’s 1.6-litre turbo unit manages just fine, thank you, on regular octane game and its fuel economy is rated at 9.4/7.9/100km (city/hwy), which is really not far off the base engine rating. My numbers came in closer to the city average, probably reflecting the evil grin on my face as I squirted this puppy out of the corners.
The SX matches the power increase with a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that allows cog changes through shifter paddles on a new flat-bottomed D-shaped steering wheel.
The SX also incorporates a dual exhaust system, bigger brakes, 18-inch alloy wheels and, to set off the sport motif, a sport bumper and grille up front bracketed by Xenon HID headlights, along with a unique rear spoiler and LED light bar taillights in back. A lane-keep assist system is also added into the mix for 2017.
Inside, the Kia Forte5 hosts passengers in a roomy-for-a-compact cabin, with all-black environs, leather-appointed with contrasting piano black glosses and scattered chrome highlights. The instrumentation is a just-right mix of buttons, knobs and touch screen surfaces that allow driver operation without the distractions of menu-scrolling, hunting, pecking and near-death experiences.
Second row accommodation is do-able and the cargo area swallows up to 657 litres of luggage, expanding to 1,597 litres with the second row folded.
It’s a very complete package.
I could go on and on but, to sum up, with its maximized five-door interior space still blending well with compact nimbleness, and bolstered by an SX bump up in performance and handling, this Forte5 certainly offers Kia customers a hot hatch that lives up to its name.
2017 Kia Forte5 SX
BODY STYLE: Compact five-door five-passenger hatchback
DRIVE METHOD: Front engine, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel drive
ENGINE: 1.6-litre turbocharged T-GDI DOHC D-CVVT four-cylinder (201 hp and 195 lb/ft)
CARGO: 657 litres, 1,597 litres with second row folded
FUEL ECONOMY: 9.4/7.9L/100km (city/hwy)
PRICE: SX $29,895; As tested $30,095 including Hyper Blue paint ($200). Freight ($1,560) not included.
WEB: www.kia.ca
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