Best selling Kia in June is awarded with another accolade. This time through its protection of owners in case of the worst. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – July 22, 2017 2017 Kia Forte LX with the 6-speed AT - $18,715 incl. mats and $895 D&H provides owners with a 29/38 mpg city/highway rating. And a bonus. It is one very safe compact. Real world pricing here in Southern California can be as low as $14k with dealer discounts, factory incentives, and other incentives. The Forte earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating with the agency’s top “Good” rating across the board including the tough to beat IIHS small overlap crash test and met all other crashworthiness requirements. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded its best rating possible, Top Safety Pick Plus (TSP+), to the 2017 Kia Forte built after March 2017 when equipped with optional front crash prevention and high intensity discharge (HID) headlights with Dynamic Bending Light. To achieve the IIHS TSP+ rating, you must purchase the EX trim ($21,300+ $895 D&H) with the EX Premium Plus Pkg. (+$4,490) which includes the HID Dynamic Bending Light headlamps allowing the Forte to cross the crash test goal line intact. This top safety award came right on the heels of the Forte being named highest-rated compact car in the 2017 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS), which measures consumer satisfaction and the least number of issues in the first 90 days of ownership. You can find those details within the following story. Kia Tops J.D. Power IQS Survey Again! Niro tops the Compact Crossover Segment To qualify for TSP+, the IIHS testing parameters require each vehicle to earn “good” ratings in five crashworthiness tests – small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side impact, roof strength and head restraints – as well as an “advanced” or “superior” rating for front crash prevention and an “acceptable” or “good” rating in headlight testing. From last month’s sales reports, while Kia June 2017 sales were down 10.3% with 56,143 vehicles sold, the sales highlight was the award winning Forte. Kia’s Forte outsold the perennial brand sales leading Optima for the second time in as many months in June. Maybe this push down to the compact just like the Civic outpacing the Accord, Corolla outpacing the Camry, and Elantra outpacing the Sonata is a sign of things to come?
