2011 Kia Forte Receives Few Changes
For 2011, the 2011 Kia Forte receives a few aesthetic and mechanical changes, but the most noticeable shift is the introduction of the Forte five-door hatchback. The Kia Forte 2011 Sedan and Koup models remain largely unchanged; however, Kia has added another model to the 2011 Kia Forte lineup: a five-door hatchback.
The 2011 Kia Forte lineup finally gets a six-speed automatic transmission, a new four-door hatchback body style and a minor equipment shuffle. The Kia 2011 Forte is good enough to compete against perennial segment stars from Honda and Toyota. The 2011 new Kia Forte may not be top of mind for a lot of consumers, but it should be, as it compares favorably against perennial favorites from Honda, Mazda and Toyota.
Thanks to stewardship by a former Audi designer, the 2011 Kia Forte wears crisp, tasteful lines that help it get noticed in a segment seldom known for distinctive styling. There’s more than just good looks, too, including a 156-horsepower base engine, impressive fuel economy, solid build quality and many thoughtful standard features.
Of course there is also Kia’s confidence-inspiring 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty for purchasing the 2011 hatch Kia Forte. Unlike many of its competitors, the 2011 Forte is also available as a coupe (dubbed the “Koup”), which provides an extra dollop of style for those shopping this economy-minded segment.
And this year brings another body style, a four-door 2011 Forte Koup SX hatchback offering greater practicality. The 2011 Forte also receives a standard six-speed manual transmission on all models and a new six-speed automatic. The Kia Forte Koup SX hatchback features improvements in both performance and fuel efficiency over its precursor, a tall-geared unit that had but four speeds to work with.
The Addition for the 2011 Kia Forte
In addition to a new transmission, the 2011 Forte SX Hatchback is shorter in length than the Sedan and Koup, but it’s still longer than the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Golf. The 2011 Kia Forte SX Hatchback will also have a new front grille, alloy wheels, a center console, paddle shifters, push-button start, a redesigned front bumper and an optional navigation system.
The five-door hatchback will have the same engines as the 2011 Forte sedan and Koup, but adopts a new six-speed automatic or manual transmission that was not available with the 2010 sedan and Koup models. The new transmission should improve fuel economy, the EPA estimates for the 2011 Forte LX and EX with the manual transmission are 25 mpg city/34 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined.
The numbers edge up to an impressive 26/36/29 with the 2011 Kia Forte automatic. Opting for the Fuel Economy package bumps the Kia Forte EX sedan/hatchback figures to 27/37/30. Kia estimates the more powerful 2011 Forte SX at 22 mpg city/32 mpg highway with the manual and 23/32 (23/31 for the 2011 Kia Forte Koup SX) with the automatic.
The 2011 Kia Forte five-door hatchback will be available this fall, but Kia has not provided a release date for the Kia Forte 2011 Sedan and Koup. The 2010 Forte models, however, are priced affordably, and start at $13,695 for the sedan and $16,595 for the Koup. Reviewers expect pricing for the 2011 Kia Forte to stay within this range. Keep checking back as more information about 2011 Kia Forte is released on Kia’s newest additions.
Tags:2011 Kia Forte, hatchback, Kia Forte
