Stylish design, latest driver assistance and infotainment, and possibly the most efficient non-hybrid drivetrain ever installed in a compact. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Jan. 15, 2018 2019 Kia Forte - Pricing TBA later this year while providing future owners with an early estimated 35 mpg combined rating! Detroit, MI -- At the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Kia revealed its all-new third generation 2019 Forte in its standard three LX, S and EX trims. So why was it imho the most important reveal at the show? The all-new “Smart Stream” derived drivetrain. 2019 Kia Forte Drivetrain A new second-generation atkinsonized 147 hp and 132 lb-ft. of torque 2.0L I4 (same as the current Forte) with cooled EGR is mated to either a 6-speed MT in the base LX trim or an all-new CVT with adaptive style shift logic. CVT NVH was reduced by wrapping the transmission case in a sound-insulating cover that reduced interior noise by 5dB. Together the drivetrain provides an estimated 35 mpg combined rating, 3 more than the current 2018 Forte. We are talking 2018 Elantra ECO like efficiency with more hp without having to use a costly turbo. 2019 Kia Forte Exterior Design The all-new Forte’s long hood and short rear deck follow the latest automotive fashion trend. Feature lines in the hood contribute to the Forte’s aggressive appearance while the signature tiger nose grille and an aggressive black lower valance, continue to present its Kia roots. Turn signals are now separate from the all-new projection or full LED headlamps and mounted below the front bumper <-- this was a more expensive design decision, while integrated air curtains improve aerodynamics. Outback, the signals were also separated from the rear LED taillights. Where the design missed a beat was to forgo the 18 Sonata’s large flat rear trunk face instead of including the decades old plate cutout. 2019 Kia Forte Interior Design Infotainment is going to be a highlight as the all-new Forte includes an 8 in color touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and the ability to read SMS texts aloud through Bluetooth. Qi wireless charging is also available. An available 320-watt Harman Kardon system will also be available. Revised seats are both lighter more comfortable with increased lumbar support and denser seat foam. Wheelbase has remained the same at 106.3 inches while overall length has increased by 3.2 inches to 182.7 in. Unfortunately, the already limited rear seat leg room has fallen by 0.2 in. Height is up by almost .5 in to 56.7 in allowing .2 in more headroom front and rear. Width has been increased to 70.8 in from the 70.2 in offered with the current Forte allowing 0.5 in more rear seat shoulder room. Moving to the trunk, the all-new 2019 Kia Forte has a 15.1 cu.-ft. of cargo volume, up 0.2 cu. ft from the current 2nd gen. Occupants will receive easier ingress and egress, and better outward visibility. 2019 Kia Forte Safety The all-new 2019 Forte includes more hot-stamped components and 54 percent Advanced High-Strength Steel resulting in a 16 percent stiffer body. The Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) system has been tuned to reduce the artificial steering feel. Improved brake tip-in provides a shorter stopping distance. Kia’s optional Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) includes Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), and Smart Cruise Control (SCC). Given the current 2018 Forte is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rated vehicle, expect the all-new 2019 in EX trim with all the options should receive the same. This is going to be one hell of an addition to a first-time buyer’s drive with a low total cost of ownership and the latest affordable technology.
I thought Kia/Hyundai was more of a DCT than CVT company. CVTs are pretty inefficient compared to DCTs. I'm surprised, and a little disappointed, to see a CVT used here.
CVT is an interesting choice. I don't disagree with it, though. The efficiency advantages of a DCT seem to be shrinking as other transmissions become more efficient, DCT is mainly a performance car gearbox now.
Not sure where I heard this , but I think CVT's may be cheaper to manufacture than a DCT. Neither one satisfies like a good ole 3-pedal setup.
Kia is calling theirs an IVT (I for intelligent), hoping people will not think of it as a CVT since there are so many horror stories out there regarding catastrophic CVT failures. They're going with a chain rather than segmented belt, similar to Subaru and Audi. Chains usually mean more durability but also more noise - probably why they shrouded the transaxle. What's interesting is that they whacked the 6 speed planetary box entirely. That's a gutsy move since the Forte is a hot seller relative to the rest of the line. Teething problems with a new chain-drive will turn Kia showrooms into a moonscape. They screwed up the DCT over at Cousin "H" on the Tucson, and it's so bad they ended up plopping the old 2.4/6AT from the previous generation back under the hood of the 2018s. While the DCT problem was almost entirely programming-related, the word had spread pretty fast. It doesn't take long for Google to start serving up millions of hits on "dct problems" and creating the next Edsel. What is interesting is that Kia and Hyundai combined are now offering so many different options in their popular sedans and SUVs. - Manual - 6 speed - Dual Clutch Automatic - 6 or 7 speed - Planetary Automatic - 6 or 8 speed - CVT (oops... IVT) - 1 variable speed - Electric motor with gear reduction ...Pretty much covers the whole spectrum.
Too bad there's not a diesel Honda Civic reveal here in the US (like there just was in the UK). Rated at 76.3 mpg on the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure, (whatever that is) --- from what I've read/surmised .... any reasonable driver should be getting tanks into the mid 60's (US gallons). http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/honda/civic/100465/new-2018-honda-civic-diesel-uk-prices-and-specs New 2018 Honda Civic diesel: UK prices and specs
Small rant ahead... Why isn't there a 65 mpg 118 hp 221 lb-ft Honda civic that is fueled with methane? If Honda can work this magic for diesel then they should have no trouble doing it for CNG. A small 6 gge methane tank (no problem fitting that in a car) would provide over 350 miles range and a 5 minute re-fuel. There's crap-loads of methane around ,.. crap-loads of it is just being burned off in the oil fields/refineries. When that runs out (in about 300 years) we could switch to bio-methane, .... no problem. Why are we chasing electric/ hydrogen dreams , when the cng solution is surely technically feasible today??
Hi Carcus: You mean like the 2007 Honda Civic iCDTi? 112.0 mpg after 102.2 miles. 94.1 mpg after 589 miles. Wayne
Yes, exactly. Although I would never accuse you of being a reasonable driver. I'd sure like to see a speed vs mpg graph on the 2018 version. GCR reported a 62 mpg US trip computer in a 2013 version, 900 miles, mostly highway 70 mph, with 90 minutes of London.
What about the announced Insight? I've heard around 50 mpg combined which seems low for that setup. Maybe very conservative? Diesel I still don't see much of market in the US especially after all the emission cheating news (now Ford as well it seems). But also not as efficient in city mpg.
Hi Luke: Honda did not do anything in Detroit. The only thing released was this: With that minuscule addition, I suspect it will be really expensive. I did not give my "Best of Show" to the all-new 2019 VW Jetta either. Its 147 hp and 184 pound-feet of torque 1.4L TSI mated to an all-new 8-speed AT was not highlighted as being an efficiency standout either. The 19 Silverado with the 3.0L I6 TD, the 19 RAM 1500 with an all-new mild hybrid drivetrain an d second gen 3.6L V6 Pentastar, and F-150 with the 3.0L TD all look very interesting. Wayne
Thanks Wayne. With all that talk about electrification, not much evidence yet. Certainly VW claims big plans. The other hybrid announced was the Avalon but not liking that refreshed design. Acura did do a nice redesign of the RDX with finally HUD, pano roof, 16 way adjustable both front seats. Only think missing was a hybrid option. RAV4 hybrid sells well so there's definitely a potential market.
Speaking of new technology that will really matter for most people, I would like to hear more news from Mazda's Skyactiv X project. They should have engines on display at these auto shows and Dave Coleman pointing out various things on youtube videos (which I would watch endlessly )
This got me thinking - i didnt see mazda at the show. Double checked the floor plan, and confirmed. Mazda wasn't at NAIAS 2018
CNG has the same issue as hydrogen; there isn't the infrastructure to support personal cars. Building it would be much cheaper, but it is still something you need to get the public behind. Home refilling ended up being a failure. The stations were quite expensive, and required regular maintenance. On top of that, Honda pulled their support for them because they let dirty gas in that rotted out the cars' fuel systems. Want natural gas in cars. Support open fuel standards, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Fuel_Standard_Act_of_2011 It will be easier to convert natural gas to methanol to mix with gasoline than get people to buy CNG cars. Diesel had a poor rep even before the recent cheating, but it seems to have better odds of getting to renewable replacement than gasoline.
Glad to see Hyundai finally moving towards CVTs. I recognize that some day I may be (reluctantly) forced to abandon manual transmissions. Based on my extensive experience with rental cars I can say that I could live with most of the CVTs I've driven. I really have despised every DCT I have driven, and I'm not a big fan of traditional slu(ggi)shboxes either. Obviously I've been disappointed to see Hyundai continuing to use slushboxes on their new Ioniq, but at least this offers hope that we could see CVTs in their future hybrids.
Also: this story is about the Forte sedan, but for many of us sedans do not constitute usable motor vehicles. Any word about the hatchback? I have noticed that as of a couple years ago the Forte5 has become available with a manual transmission, which wasn't previously the case IIRC. If it had a more efficient engine the Forte5 MT would be on my list.
HI Dan: The 2018 Kia Forte5 is showing up on the Media site for the 2018 MY but not as an all-new 2019 model platform. With minuscule sales, I was not surprised. Wayne
The hatch may yet be coming along. After all, the Elantra GT is still available. It is possible that Kia may direct "compact hatchback" buyers to the Niro, so for all we know it could be discontinued. Kia's normal product timeline is to stagger the intro on the different body configurations, so who knows - We might see a new 5-door for 2020?
Not bad. Looks nice enough inside and out. CVT is eh but fine in a workaday vehicle. I hope the MT they offer isn't the spoon-in-your-oatmeal mess they've had in the past.
