All-new 2019 Kia Forte brings Stinger edge to compact sedan

What it is: If you are aware of the Kia Stinger, the 365-horsepower rocket ship, the all-new Forte takes its design cues from the Stinger but not its fire-breathing, turbocharged engine. Aggressive styling with a minimalist trunk lid gives it a faux fastback look that really works well. The Forte is based on the newest Hyundai Elantra platform and all trim levels are equipped with the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. It’s available with either a six-speed manual transmission or Kia’s first ever CVT, which I actually quite enjoyed. I find the far majority of CVTs annoying at best, but Kia did a great job with this one. The engine and transmission have been tuned for efficiency and the results are huge fuel economy numbers: 30 city and 40 highway.

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