2014 Kia Forte
With each new generation of their Forte compact, Kia has gotten increasingly serious about giving small car stalwarts Civic and Corolla a real run for buyer’s money. The first design was competent, while the second gen was another step in the right direction, albeit a small one. Now, Kia has stepped up their game again as a third generation Forte marches onto the scene. So let’s see if this step is another small one, or a leap?
At first glance it’s obvious that this 2014 Kia Forte sedan takes on the Euro-inspired design language of other recent Kia's…with its large multi-sided grille, and very sharp looking sheet metal when viewed against more vanilla rivals like the Honda Civic, and Nissan Sentra. Only the now quite stylish Toyota Corolla, and sister Hyundai Elantra, visually compare.
A 106.3-inch wheelbase and 179.5-inch length make Forte longer, lower, and wider than before, slotting between Civic and Sentra in size. As before, a 5-door hatchback and 2-door Koup will also be available, both featuring even more aggressive styling.
The nicely finished interior sees a much softer makeover, with a refreshingly simple layout that still appears more expensive than it is. Front seats, despite being thin and narrow, are comfortable enough for the daily commute, if not so much for long distance work. The same goes for the rear seats where room and shape of seats is also most suited for a pair of commuters.
Where Kia really seems to be standing out is with their UVO infotainment system, which works much better than all of their competition and even many high end luxury car systems. The touchscreen is incredibly intuitive, and all controls, including those for radio and navigation, are first class.
Speaking of class, our EX tester had the Premium and Technology Packages. They add, among other unexpected things, a heated steering wheel, heated seats, ventilated seat for the driver, push button start, dual zone climate, HID headlights, and LED tail lights.
Gauges are nice and clear, with the exception being the small digital block fuel gauge; but overall much like the rest of the interior; it’s simple, effective, and attractive. The trunk provides a good 14.9 cubic-ft. of space and the finish is surprisingly nice for a compact car. Folding rear seats make carrying long items a snap.
Two 4-cylinder engines are available, the LX’s 1.8-liter and the EX’s 2.0-liter. We suggest going with the latter and its 173-horsepower and 154 lb-ft. of torque. It feels plenty powerful for daily use, including for highway passing, which is slowed while the standard 6-speed automatic transmission hunts for a lower gear. A 6-speed manual is standard on the LX.
We took the 2.0-liter EX to the track, and despite the engine sounding like it was made my Fisher Price, all was good; though it would benefit greatly from a richer exhaust sound. Still, the 2-point-0 gets you to 60 in a class respectable 8.8-seconds, and through the ¼-mile in 16.8-seconds at 85 miles-per-hour. There is a manual shift mode for the auto, but it too is slow to respond, doesn’t help track times, and added nothing to our straight-line enjoyment.
The McPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension is designed more with an eye towards comfort than sporty performance. But, it equated itself well enough through our slalom course. It was surprisingly enjoyable, with only minor understeer, and an unobtrusive stability control. Steering response is agile, and Kia’s optional FlexSteer adjustable system is available to tailor the feel to your liking. Brakes were more ordinary, taking 132-feet to stop from 60 miles per hour.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are important for any commuter car. The 2.0-liter auto rates 24-City, 36-Highway, and 28-Combined. We easily beat the combined number, averaging 30.8 miles-per-gallon of regular while driving a diverse set of roads. The Energy Impact Score is compact car worthy at 11.8-barrels of oil consumption per year with C02 emissions of 5.2 tons.
As with all Kia's, base price is a strong point. Indeed, at $16,700 the LX strikes a nice bargain. The EX, at $20,200 to start, a little less so.
So, to answer our query of whether this new Forte is another small step, or more of a leap, we’ll lean more to the step. Still, it’s a heck of a car, and while that may be one small step for the Forte, it’s part of the giant leap that the Kia brand has made in recent years. In just about every car segment, Kia now has a very viable model that competes on much more than just price alone.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.0-liter
- Horsepower: 173
- Torque: 154 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 8.8 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 16.8 seconds @ 85 mph
- EPA: 24 mpg city/ 36 mpg highway
- Energy Impact: 11.8 barrels of oil/yr
- CO2 Emissions: 5.2 tons
2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid
Crossed Up Corolla Gets More Efficient
Toyota offers a hybrid powertrain in just about everything they make, so it did seem odd that last year, when they debuted an all-new SUV version of their long-time best-selling Corolla, a hybrid was nowhere to be found. Well, it didn’t take long for Toyota to correct that situation, delivering this Corolla Cross Hybrid for 2023.
With prices for everything seemingly going up daily, we can all use a little more cost efficiency in our lives. That’s a mission that Toyota has been undertaking for some time now and continues to do it with this 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid.
The Alabama-built Corolla Cross arrived just last year as Toyota’s attempt to bring their best-selling nameplate into the SUV era, and give them an additional entry into the most popular automotive segment going right now, small crossovers.
There are some RAV4 styling cues here, but the Corolla Cross is mostly its own deal, and the Hybrid is more than just a fuel efficient option, it has added performance too. So, it’s offered only in Toyota’s S line of trims S, SE, and XSE, where the standard Corolla Cross is available in base L, LE, and XLE.
There are some differences outside, most notably unique front and rear fasicas; the front with a much more aggressive look, with larger grille and blacked-out trim.
Black trim and logos in back too, along with a redesigned bumper; plus, you can optionally go 2-tone by adding black paint to the roof.
Great packaging has it feeling roomier inside than most small 5-seat utes, straddling the line between subcompact and compact. And seats are way more comfortable than your typical urban-minded utility.
In fact, the entire interior feels quite upscale, and the layout will be very familiar to those stepping up from an actual Corolla.
Those who put off buying a Corolla Cross until now will be rewarded with upgraded infotainment, as all Hybrid’s will come with Toyota’s latest 8-inch touchscreen multimedia system standard.
The Hybrid’s small battery is located under the rear seat, so there’s minimal loss of rom, with a good 21.5 cubic-ft. of cargo space available; expanding to 61.8 with rear seatbacks folded.
Getting to the heart of the matter, the Corolla Cross Hybrid’s fuel-sipping ways are courtesy of the 5th generation of Toyota’s Hybrid System which outputs a combined 196-horsepower through its trio of electric motors and naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine. One of those motors operating strictly the rear axle for standard all-wheel-drive.
At our test track, there was a nice little chirp of the tires off the line, but that’s where the excitement ended.
So while a 7.5-second trip to 60 may not raise your blood pressure, it’s a full 3-seconds quicker than the standard Corolla Cross we tested last year. We’ll take that!
CVT automatic means engine revs and engine noise both hang relatively high throughout the whole ¼-mile, which took us 15.6-seconds to complete, finishing at a reasonable 90 miles-per-hour.
The Hybrid also gets a “sport-tuned” suspension, and indeed it felt light and nimble through our cone course, very neutral too, with no noticeable understeer or oversteer. Steering was light but still provided good feedback. With some grippier tires, this would certainly give the best handlers in the segment a run for their money.
But the real reward comes in Government Fuel Economy Ratings which are 45-City, 38-Highway, and 42-Combined. We averaged a great 43.3 miles-per-gallon of Regular; that’s a 40% increase over the 30.9 miles-per-gallon we averaged in the standard Corolla Cross last year.
But, that does come at a cost, though it’s difficult to make direct comparisons with separate trim families, but pricing starts at $29,320 for the Hybrid, about 3-grand over a base all-wheel-drive non-hybrid. Top XSE comes in at $32,400.
As influential as Toyota is in spreading the hybrid doctrine, it was indeed odd that the Corolla Cross arrived last year without a hybrid option. Smartly, it didn’t take them long to right that wrong, as it was always part of the plan, and the Corolla Cross has benefitted from it greatly. The 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid is not just more efficient, it’s more capable, and a much better small utility all around.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.0-liter 4-cylinder
- Horsepower: 196
- 0-60 mph: 7.5-seconds
- MW Fuel Economy: 43.3 MPG (Regular)
- Transmission: e-CVT
- Torque: 139 lb-ft
- 1/4 Mile: 15.6-seconds at 90 mph
- EPA: 45-City, 38-Highway, and 42-Combined