Kia introduced a redesigned version of its Forte compact sedan Monday at the Detroit auto show, as the brand seeks a turnaround.
Kia introduced a redesigned version of its Forte compact sedan Monday at the Detroit auto show, as the brand seeks a turnaround after falling on hard times in the U. S. market.
The Korean automaker revealed the larger and more fuel-efficient 2019 Kia Forte with design inspiration from the company’s slickly designed Stinger car, which popped onto the scene last year.
While the Forte was Kia’s best-seller in the U. S. in 2017, the model arrives amid gloomy conditions for compact cars.
Americans are flocking away from small cars and embracing crossovers and SUVs — a trend that has undermined Kia, which staked its success on youthful passenger cars.
Kia U. S. sales fell 8.6% to 589,668 vehicles in 2017.
Kia is hoping that the Forte can break into the upper-echelon of passenger cars that are still faring well — a small crowd dominated by the likes of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
A 10% jump in fuel economy could help. The redesigned Forte gets an average of 35 miles per gallon in combined city-highway driving, up about 3 m.p.g. from the previous model.
That fuel efficiency comes from a 2-liter engine with 147 horsepower.
Like several other models introduced at the show, the new Forte is bigger than its predecessor. It’s 3.2 inches longer, which is quite noticeable in automotive design, as well as a half-inch taller and 0.7 inches wider.
In a notable safety advancement, the new Forte has projection or full-LED headlights that Kia predicted would receive highest ratings from federal regulators and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
IIHS has recently flagged poor headlights as a safety risk for many modern vehicles, pressuring automakers to make improvements.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @ NathanBomey .
