2010 Kia Forte EX

All-new compact sedan is a value-packed offering

By Nina Russin

2010 Kia Forte

Compact sedans are Kia’s bread-and-butter. The all-new Forte, which replaces the Spectra, is the automaker’s volume leader: Kia expects to sell about 70,000 units per year. More than any other model, the new sedan reflects Kia’s dramatic evolution since arriving in the US sixteen years ago.

Kia’s first US model was the Sephia: the predecessor to the Spectra. At the time, Kia’s ace-in-the hole was value pricing. Buyers who normally couldn’t afford a new car could buy a Sephia.

The Sephia’s fit and finish couldn’t compete against comparable Toyota and Honda models; nor was it a particularly safe car. But since Sephia buyers couldn’t afford Toyota or Honda’s price of admission, they were happy to get behind the wheel of a new Kia.

Kia has maintained its value pricing strategy: the Forte has an exceptionally high level of content for a $14,000 sedan. But unlike its predecessors, it’s also a very solid, safe automobile. The Forte offers equivalent power and performance to competitors such as the Corolla, Civic and Mazda3, and is expected to receive a five-star federal crash test rating. Standard safety features include antilock brakes , six standard airbags, electronic stability and traction control. Read the rest of this entry »