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:

Driving Impressions
Much of the appeal of compact crossovers is in their ability to deliver some of the practicality of larger SUVs along with easier maneuverability and parking on city streets and in tight parking l ...

Door locks
Operating door locks from outside the vehicle • Turn the key toward the front of the vehicle to unlock and toward the rear of the vehicle to lock. • If you lock the driver’s door with a k ...

Warnings and indicators
Warning lights / audible indicators Checking operation All warning lights are checked by turning the ignition switch ON (do not start the engine). Any light that does not illuminate should be che ...