First Drive: 2010 Kia Forte

The Forte is technically the successor to the Spectra, but it is really so much more than that. This time, Kia decided to leave the help of the rocked-out Soul hamsters behind and instead concentrate on product, not marketing – though we do like the hamsters. The main competitors in the segment include the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Mazda Mazda3 and when you add in the secondary targets of the Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cobalt, it shows why anyone would need to strike hard when attempting to show up as a seriously dominant player that sells on more than just low prices.

See also:

Marketplace
The latest Magentis's look is hardly groundbreaking, and it lacks the personality and sense of identity of most mainstream class contenders. Still, it does have a modern 'European' feel to its sty ...

Efficient, Powerful Engine
Available in two powerplants - a 2.4-liter four-cylinder or a 2.7-liter V6 engine - and two five-speed transmissions (manual with LX four-cylinder model only), the 2009 Kia Optima introduces a new ...

Manual climate control system
1. Fan speed control knob 2. Mode selection knob 3. Temperature control knob 4. Recirculated air position button 5. Rear window defroster button 6. Air conditioning button Heating and air co ...