Kia is banking on its redesigned family of Forte models to pound the final nails into the coffin containing its old reputation as a purveyor of cheap, sub-standard cars and SUVs. The process of pounding nails has been, excuse the pun, in full swing since the current version of the Forte debuted, the first car designed under Kia’s Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, following his departure from Audi and Volkswagen.
Now, with the second-generation Kia Forte, the automaker takes another leap forward in terms of design, providing upscale style and amenities at a reasonable price. Offered as a 4-door sedan, a 5-door hatchback, and a 2-door coupe, the 2014 Kia Forte matters primarily because it signals to rival car companies that they can no longer phone it in when designing and engineering their compact cars.
When the Forte goes on sale, it will compete against every compact car on the market including heavy hitters such as the Chevrolet Cruze, Dodge Dart, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Golf, and Volkswagen Jetta.
