2024 Kia Forte GT Review: A Spicy Little Treat That Doesn't Break The Bank

You could say the Kia Forte is a strange starting point from which to make a sports sedan. After all, the diminutive four-door's primary purpose is arguably to give Kia a "we'll sell you a new car from under $20k" boast, even if it needs to ignore the destination fee for that to be the case. The cheapest Forte's wheezy little gas engine is hardly the stuff of driving glee.

Shopping frugally, though, needn't mean sacrificing all fun. The 2024 Forte GT's $24,690 (plus $1,155 destination) starting price is still a vast delta away from the average new car transaction price in the U.S. these days, but Kia does plenty with that roughly $5k upsell over the base-spec LX. More power, a smidge more style, and — most importantly — a nod to what makes enthusiast cars special.

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That doesn't mean, as GT cars in other price bands might lead you to conclude, throwing horsepower at the problem until everyone is smiling (or has lost their license). And, while the Forte GT is not going to hold up against the traditional go-to options in the sports sedan segment, its "charm on a budget" quotient is surprisingly high.

Compared to its K4 and K5 siblings, the Forte's design is less adventurous and frankly a little dull. Without the Kia badge on the nose, I suspect most people wouldn't know what it was. In fact, given Kia's badge redesign, there's a not-insignificant possibility that even with that logo, they'll still be confused. Kia does, at least, offer an array of paints that include brighter hues, though weirdly the love-it-or-hate-it Fire Orange can be had on the GT-Line trim level, but not the GT.

You do get meaner-looking LED headlamps, and some slick 18" machine-finished wheels instead of the GT-Line's 17" versions. The GT-specific wheels have red detailing, to match the smattering of crimson across the grille and lower fascia vents.

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Inside, there's a GT-specific steering wheel — with paddle-shifters on the DCT version of the car — and Kia throws in a wireless phone charger, rear USB port, and rear air vent for the standard dual-zone climate control. The regular GT-Line is surprisingly well-equipped, though, anyway. There's a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but sadly only in wired form), manually-adjusted front sports seats with cloth/SynTex upholstery, as well as both navigation and SiriusXM.

The GT2 package — a $1,900 option on the GT — adds a power sunroof, Harman-Kardon audio system, power driver's seat, full SynTex upholstery with heating and ventilation for the front seats, and rear parking sensors. There's no fully-digital driver cluster, like on some (slightly) more expensive Kia models, just a small display sandwiched between analog gauges.

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The Forte doesn't stint on physical switchgear. Big knobs and buttons for the HVAC, plus dedicated volume and tuning dials flanking a row of infotainment shortcuts. The wireless phone charger is an odd little shelf; I did worry that, with aggressive braking, my iPhone might launch itself into the back seat.

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That said, while the second row is a tad snug — par for the course for the segment — the front is just fine. Four adults should be okay. The trunk is a not-bad-at-all 15.3 cu-ft.

I probably didn't need to worry too much about g-forces sending my smartphone flying. The GT swaps the GT-Line's 2.0-liter naturally aspirated inline-four engine for a 1.6-liter turbo-four. That means 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, versus 147 hp and 132 lb-ft.

While a welcome increase, these are still not earth-shattering numbers. What's more important, though, is when those peaks arrive: 6,000 rpm for the maximum horsepower, versus 6,200 rpm, but — and making all the difference — peak torque landing between 1,500 and 4,500 rpm for the turbo-four. The 2.0L is only hitting its peak torque at 4,500 rpm, in contrast.

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That, plus losing the CVT in favor of this car's 7-speed DCT automatic, reinvents the experience from behind the wheel. The Forte GT feels spritely and eager; fun, even, in the way that front-wheel drive cars can be charmingly entertaining when handed some backroads to whip around. There's not so much grunt here as to get you into trouble, unless you make some seriously poor decisions.

Sport mode keeps things fizzing a little more urgently, and the paddle shifters — though plastic, an acceptable compromise given the spend here — allow you to weigh in. Most of the time, though, I didn't mind the GT's shift decisions; you can slap the chunky stick across to "S" mode if you prefer. $700 gets you the GT Manual, ousting the DCT for a 6-speed stick, and while I can't imagine the take-rate on that is sizable, Kia deserves serious kudos for even just offering it.

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At the same time, the GT isn't loutish around town. The sports-tuned suspension and exhaust are firm and a little louder, but not rude with it. Ride quality, even on Michigan's relentlessly shoddy asphalt, wasn't back-breaking. And the perkiness of that low-end torque means you don't feel like budget is calling the shots: the Forte is nimble at urban runabout duties.

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Even Kia's economy estimates hold up. According to the EPA, the Forte GT can do 27 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg combined. My own mixed driving landed just north of 29 mpg.

With $295 for the paint, $270 for mats, and the GT2 package, this particular Forte GT lands at $28,310 all-in. Now, could you go shopping with that for used sedans, and come home with more performance? Certainly, but then you'd miss out on Kia's healthy 5 year / 60,000 basic limited warranty and 10 year / 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Then there's the surprisingly comprehensive safety tech. All Forte trims get forward collision avoidance assistance with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist, and lane following assist. The GT-Line and DCT version of the GT get blind-spot collision avoidance assist, add cyclist detection to the front collision-avoidance, include rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, and throw in Kia's Highway Driving Assist (HDA) system.

Driving the Forte GT, occasionally stabbing the button to switch into Sport mode, I'd find myself muttering "Chris can have a little fun, as a treat" to myself. The meme phrase seemed appropriate: Kia's slightly spicier sedan can prompt a smile, but never at the cost of you thinking you overpaid for it.