Kia Forte

The Forte was Kia's compact sedan in the US from 2010 through 2024, across three generations — replacing the Kia Spectra and serving as the brand's volume Civic / Corolla competitor. 1st gen TD (2010-2013): four-door sedan, two-door coupe (Forte Koup), and five-door hatchback (Forte5), with 2.0L Theta II (158 hp) or 2.4L Theta II (173 hp) engines, four-speed automatic initially then six-speed from 2011. The Forte SX was the early performance trim with the 2.4L. 2nd gen YD (2014-2018): completely redesigned with European styling cues from Peter Schreyer, slightly larger body, 1.8L Nu (148 hp) or 2.0L Nu GDI (173 hp) engines, six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. Continued with sedan, Koup, and Forte5 hatch — though the Forte Koup was discontinued after 2016. 3rd gen BD (2019-2024): styling cues from the Stinger, fastback profile, 54% advanced high-strength steel construction, 2.0L Atkinson Nu (147 hp) with six-speed manual or CVT, plus the new GT trim with 1.6L Gamma turbo (201 hp / 195 lb-ft) and seven-speed wet dual-clutch automatic — making this the most performance-oriented Forte ever. Production ended 2024 worldwide as Kia replaced it with the K4 in their realigned naming nomenclature. Now firmly affordable used and a reasonable Civic-alternative pick for budget buyers.