The Kia Forte is a competitive compact sedan. It may not be as well-known as its chief rivals, but it’s a serious competitor to the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Nissan Sentra. With impressive standard infotainment and safety tech features, excellent fuel economy, and affordable pricing, there’s a lot to love about the Forte.
Except for the turbocharged Forte GT, every Kia Forte comes with a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine rated at 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy varies depending on the trim and transmission, but most variants of the Forte get 29 city/40 highway mpg.
Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the Kia Forte lineup and find the right model for you.
2021 Kia Forte FE (Original starting price when new: $17,890)
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The 2021 Kia Forte FE starts at $17,890.
The base FE trim is the most affordable version of the Forte. With the standard manual transmission, it gets 27 city/37 highway mpg, and with the optional automatic, it gets 31 city/41 highway mpg.
Standard features include 15-inch steel wheel with wheel covers, automatic headlights, a tilt and telescoping steering column, cloth seats, air conditioning, cruise control, an 8-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, power windows, and power door locks.
Standard safety tech features in every Forte include automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and driver attention warning.
Who is this trim for? The FE trim is for drivers looking for an affordable car with modern safety and infotainment tech features.
2021 Kia Forte FE includes:
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay — These smartphone connectivity features make it easy to bring your music, maps, and more from your phone to the screen in your car.
Safety tech — Standard driver assistance tech features in the Forte include automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, driver attention warning, and more.
Excellent fuel economy — With the automatic transmission, the Forte gets 31 city/41 highway mpg.
2021 Kia Forte LXS (Original starting price when new: $19,390)
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The 2021 Kia Forte LXS stars at $19,390.
Stepping up to the LXS trims brings some nice extra features while keeping the price reasonable. For starters, the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) comes standard.
Other standard features in the LXS trim include 16-inch alloy wheels, a chrome exhaust tip, 60/40 split-folding back seats, soft-touch interior trim, and three drive modes (Comfort, Smart, Sport).
Who is this trim for? The LXS trim is for drivers looking for a nice blend of features and value in a modern compact car.
2021 Kia Forte LXS includes:
Drive modes — Comfort, Smart, and Sport drive modes let you customize your drive.
Alloy wheels — Standard 16-inch alloy wheels add extra style to the Forte.
60/40 split-folding back seats — This feature allows you to optimize passenger and cargo space.
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line (Original starting price when new: $20,490)
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The 2021 Kia Forte GT-Line starts at $20,490.
The GT-Line trim gets its name from the sportier GT model. It has an appearance package similar to the GT trim, but it doesn’t have a turbocharged engine.
On top of the sporty appearance package, the GT-Line model comes with fog lights, heated mirrors, a rear center armrest, push-button start, 6-speaker audio, alloy pedals, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and sport black cloth seats with leatherette side bolsters.
Additional safety tech features with the GT-Line trim include lane-change assist, blind-spot collision warning, and rear cross-traffic collision warning.
The optional GT-Line Premium Package adds a power driver’s seat, Harman/Kardon premium audio, a power sunroof, USB chargers, SiriusXM, and a 12V outlet.
Who is this trim for? The Forte GT-Line is for drivers who want a sporty-looking and well-equipped compact car but don’t care much about actual performance.
2021 Kia Forte GT-Line includes:
Sporty appearance package — This appearance package includes 17-inch wheels, a rear spoiler, sporty side sills, and more.
Sport seats — These sporty seats have leatherette side bolsters and contrast stitching.
More safety tech — Starting with the GT-Line trim, lane-change assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert come standard.
2021 Kia Forte EX (Original starting price when new: $23,090)
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The 2021 Kia Forte EX starts at $23,090.
The EX trim is the premium choice in the Forte lineup. It comes well-equipped with standard features while still retaining an affordable price tag.
Standard features on the EX model include chrome exterior trim, a power sunroof, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, faux leather seats, heated and ventilated front seats, a power driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, navigation, Harman/Kardon premium audio, two USB chargers, and a wireless charging pad.
Who is this trim for? The Forte EX is for anyone who likes the idea of a compact sedan with premium features at an affordable price point.
2021 Kia Forte EX includes:
Wireless charging — No more fussing with wires to charge your phone.
Navigation — Get to your destination with confidence
Harman/Kardon audio — This premium audio system is a 320-watt system with eight speakers and a subwoofer.
2021 Kia Forte GT (Original starting price when new: $22,790)
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The 2021 Kia Forte GT starts at $22,790.
The Forte GT is a veritable sport compact with its 1.6-liter turbocharged engine making 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. With the DCT automatic transmission, it gets 27 city/35 highway mpg, and with the manual, it gets 25 city/32 highway mpg.
On top of the engine upgrade, the GT model comes with a sporty appearance package, a sport-tuned multi-link rear suspension, sport-tuned dual exhaust, LED projection headlights, ambient lighting, sport black cloth seats with leatherette side bolsters and red contrast stitching, SiriusXM, and automatic high beams.
The optional GT2 package adds a power driver’s seat, forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian detection, Harman/Kardon premium audio, heated and ventilated front seats, rear parking sensors, a power sunroof, adaptive cruise control, faux leather seats, a 4.2-inch driver information screen, and wireless charging.
Who is this trim for? The Forte GT is for drivers looking for exciting performance in an affordable and practical compact sedan.
2021 Kia Forte GT includes:
Turbocharged engine — The turbocharged engine in the Forte GT brings a significant performance boost to this compact.
Sport suspension — The sport-tuned suspension in the Forte GT gives this car sporty handling for an engaging drive.
LED headlights — These LED headlights don’t just look cool. They also improve safety.
