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Getting warmer in pursuit of hot-hatch cred.
When we 1st tested Kia’s 5-door-hatch version of the Forte (there are also sedan and coupe, ahem, Koup variants), we have been crucial of its maker’s claim that the auto was “ultra hot,” noting that a 7.5-second 0–60 run does not qualify for hot-hatch status.
That auto had a manual 6-speed manual transmission. Now we’ve tested a 6-speed automatic, and it got to 60 mph in just 6.4 seconds, only .3 slower than our long-term Ford Focus ST took, and we don’t question the ST’s hot-hatch credentials at all. That a modern automatic can accelerate more speedily than even an expertly shifted manual equivalent does not come as a shock to us anymore, but a complete second?
Shaving 1.1 second off the launch time would look worth the $ 1000 Kia charges for the automatic, which offers manual gear choice via huge paddles behind the steering-wheel rim, but hold on a bit. The stick-shift vehicle showed fewer than 1000 miles on its odometer while this automatic had nearly 3700 miles of experience when it went to the track. Probably element of the performance difference can be attributed to a tight 1.6-liter turbocharged 4 in the manual-transmission car, 1 not as fully broken-in as was the automatic version?
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Comparing curb weights, the similarly (but not identically) equipped automatic automobile was 69 pounds heavier. The ordering procedure right here is quite basic: To get the turbo engine, you want to skip the $ 1200 more affordable EX and pick the SX trim. It begins at $ 21,700. Add $ 1K for the automatic, then opt for this example’s $ 2200 Premium package, which involves a sunroof, leather trim, heated seats (also ventilated and 10-way energy adjustable for the driver), a heated steering wheel rim, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. And you have to get all that just before you’re permitted to add yet another $ 1800 for the Technology package on this vehicle, such as navigation, HID projector-beam headlamps, a colour TFT show in the instrument binnacle, and dual-zone automatic climate control. Throw in $ 495 for push-button beginning and remote start, and you are looking at $ 27,195 all-in.
That figure undercuts the manual-shift (only) Focus ST by much more than a couple grand and contains features the Ford does not have or offer you. So Kia holds the worth position here, even as it closes the functionality gap.
Narrowing the Hot-Hatch Gap
The numbers never really tell the whole story, of course. The Concentrate ST and Volkswagen’s GTI nevertheless have a level of sophistication and refinement that the Kia can’t very match—the Forte5 takes a massive step closer with this generation, but steering feel, handling, and braking are not quite there but. And do not dismiss entirely the reduce level of driver engagement that comes with this automatic.
The Ford and VW entries nonetheless hold a overall performance benefit, albeit a smaller sized 1 than our earlier manual Forte5 test suggested. The Focus ST, for instance, not only gets to 60 mph more speedily but holds the edge by means of the quarter-mile (14.7 at 96 mph vs. the Forte5’s 14.9 at 93). Far more significantly, the Focus ST recorded a considerably far more impressive .94 g on the skidpad exactly where the Forte5 could muster only a extremely ordinary .85 g, while understeering a lot more insistently. Some blame certainly goes to the much less-grippy Nexen Premier tires.
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Handsomely created and built to a high regular with excellent-quality components and an straightforward-to-use navigation/infotainment method, the Kia Forte5 is really nearly a contender. But its 201-hp, 1.6-liter engine, although eager and pleasant adequate in use, doesn’t fairly measure up to hot-hatch requirements. The Focus ST and the VW GTI have 2.-liter mills and substantially far more horsepower than the Forte5’s as a outcome.
You may expect that the smaller sized engine would win the fuel-economy derby, but not so according to EPA estimates: It gets worked awfully challenging, so the EPA rates the Ford at 23 mpg city/32 highway whilst the Forte5 SX clocks in at only 21/29. In the genuine world, we’re seeing 26 mpg in our lengthy-term Concentrate ST and got 27 mpg throughout a couple of weeks behind the wheel of the Kia. Even that 1-mpg edge on Kia’s side of the ledger hardly seems enough to give up 51 horses and .09 g on the skidpad in exchange.
So, the Kia Forte5 doesn’t fairly offer the levels of performance and driving enjoyment as the Focus ST or the GTI, but the Kia is also not quite as high-priced as the Ford and VW hot hatches. For these who insist on a car with all the toys and don’t actually care about a quarter-second here and there, it’s not a bad deal. But if you rank the driving expertise higher on your list of priorities, be sure to verify out the Focus ST and the GTI before signing any paperwork at the Kia dealer.
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