When it comes to the 5-door compact segment, it’s hard not to think of the VW Golf, especially in the U.S. KIA however, are still hoping to change that.
Leave it to the Americans (KIA USA in this case) to advertise aggressively, and compare one of their cars to a direct and might we add, very hard to beat rival. In this case, we’re talking about the KIA Forte 5 and the previously mentioned VW Golf. So what do you do if you’re KIA? Well, you could try talking about how the Forte 5 has more cargo space than the V-Dub.
However, isn’t that about all you can do?
Even with extra cargo space and what not, it is a little amusing to hear the phrase “For the price, you’ll be hard-pressed to find comparable performance and luxury anywhere else”.
Come on guys, you can’t use “performance” and “luxury” when talking about a KIA Forte 5. Yes, it’s a fairly good looking hatchback, it drives well, it does indeed have a fairly competitive price tag, but it is by no means luxurious. Nor is it particularly fast.
It’s the same story in Europe where nobody, not even KIA, would claim that the cee’d is luxurious in any way, and they certainly wouldn’t go after the Golf in terms of performance.
But don’t get us wrong. The Forte 5 is a very capable car, and there aren’t a great deal of bad things you could say about it. So for those looking to buy, know that in the U.S it starts at $19.690 in EX trim, and it comes with a 2.0 liter engine that’s good for 173 HP and 214 Nm (158 lb-ft) of torque.