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:

Kia Magentis
We recently reported on the green machine of the future — the Google car, part-funded by the internet giant. However, I suspect Google has got it all wrong, because it’s the Kia Magentis that ...

Automatic transaxle
Automatic transaxle operation All normal forward driving is done with the shift lever in the D (Drive) position. To move the shift lever from the P (Park) position, the brake pedal must be d ...

Manual transaxle
Manual transaxle operation The manual transaxle has five forward gears. Press the clutch pedal down fully while shifting, then release it slowly. The gearshift lever must be returned to the ne ...