Chicago Sun-Times

KIA FORTE5 SX

Athletic hatchback has huge fun with solid value

- BY JOHN STEIN

The 2018 Kia Forte5 is one of the best cars in its segment and it becomes a hero when you elevate it up to the SX trim. Anytime you can toss a 201-horsepower, turbocharg­ed four-cylinder engine that makes 195 lb.-ft. of torque into the lithe body of the Forte, you are going to instantly develop a lot of potential fun.

A Better 2018

The 2018 version now comes with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissi­on with a manual shift mode. A 6-speed manual gearbox also is available. As important, the SX is equipped with a full load of modern safety, convenienc­e and comfort features that would do justice to a luxury car.

The horsepower, relatively light weight and the snap-shifting dual-clutch automatic transmissi­on combine to deliver sprightly accelerati­on. Zero-to-60 mph arrives in about 6 seconds. All of this arrives in a tidy package weighing 3,123 pounds and delivering fuel consumptio­n of 25 city/30 highway.

Cabin Feel

The interior design is handsome and welcoming, with good fit and finish, and comes with leather seats with contrastin­g piping. At the top of the center stack, the 7-inch touchscree­n that controls audio, navigation and other functions is a model of simplicity, intuitive and easy to use without extensive learning and frustratio­n.

Front seats provide decent support and comfort. Outboard back seats provide plenty of head and knee room for average-sized adults.

There’s 23 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seatbacks, which is nearly double that of some compact sedans. Fold the seatbacks and the cargo area more than doubles to 56 cubic feet. There’s no spare wheel and tire under the cargo floor; the Forte5 uses a pump and repair kit.

Benefits

The starting price was $24,695, which included full basic safety equipment, rear-view camera, a sport-tuned suspension system, faster steering, bigger front brakes, 18-inch alloy wheels, pushbutton starting, SXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivi­ty, leather upholstery and heated front seats.

The Forte5 SX with the dual-clutch automatic transmissi­on has a starting price of $2,200 less than the model with the six-speed manual gearbox. However, the manual version comes with more standard equipment, though it doesn’t include such things as blind-spot warning and rear crosstraff­ic alert.

Hatchback Atleticism

From the outside, the Forte5 presents a handsome hatchback profile with sharp lines, distinct front and rear bumpers with fog lights, alloy wheels, glossy black outside mirrors and chrome dual exhaust pipes.

What is most endearing for buyers who are impressed by value and comfort as well as performanc­e, is that my fully loaded test car came with a bottom-line sticker price of $28,295, about $6,000 less than the average price of a new car in these times.

On the road, the Forte5 SX acquits itself well against even some purpose-built sports sedans and hatchbacks. This SX trims is sporty in its own right with nicely weighted steering. Most drivers will find its supple ride a great daily driver.

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