2020 Kia Forte GT Scooped With A Possible Turbocharged Engine

Kia Forte product manger Derrick Ty hinted at a “more exciting” variant earlier this year and it now appears we’re getting our first glimpse of the model.

Dressed in heavy camouflage, the 2020 Kia Forte GT promises to be even sportier than the base model. While the cladding hides most of the styling changes, our spy shooter says the car will have a new front fascia with a revised grille and larger air intakes. The modest styling changes continue out back as the model has a modified rear bumper and a dual exhaust system.

While the styling changes don’t appear to be too drastic, the model should receive a more powerful engine. Nothing is official, but the most likely candidate is the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that resides in the Hyundai Elantra Sport. It produces a healthy 201 hp (150 kW / 203 PS) and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque.

If those numbers carryover to the Forte GT, the model would have an additional 54 hp (40 kW / 55 PS) and 63 lb-ft (85 Nm) of torque. That’s a significant improvement over the base model which has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 hp (110 kW / 149 PS) and 132 lb-ft (178 Nm) of torque.

Since the GT will likely sit at or near the top of the Forte lineup, we can expect the car will come nicely equipped with a dual-zone climate control system, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and an assortment of driver assistance systems. The cabin could also have a handful of sporty styling touches, but nothing is official as of yet.

Considering the standard Forte won’t go on sale in United States until later this year, it’s likely the Forte GT won’t be unveiled until 2019.