NAIAS 2018: Kia debuts Stinger-inspired 2019 Forte sedan

Last week, Kia released 3 sketches previewing the 2019 Forte sedan – and it looks way out of the outgoing model's league. We like it, that's why we got our fingers crossed around that time as most renderings are often exaggerations of the real thing. 

Well, we're in-luck on this: the 2019 Forte sedan finally breaks out of the covers and it's so close to the rendered one. The South Korean compact sedan entered its 3rd generation model in a much sportier exterior styling, which Kia claims to have been inspired by the Stinger.

Exterior design changes include creases on the hood, a fresh tiger nose grille, slimmer headlamp design, huge sporty side air vents, and a black lower valance. Separate turn signal indicators are found mounted atop the side vents, while the rear gets reverse and turn signal indicators on the bumper.

Even the interior didn't go too far from the penned one we saw last week. However, we can now see the rest of the cabin, which the sketches wasn’t able to show. We are talking about increased legroom and more cargo space, thanks to the additional 81.3 mm on the overall length. The Korean marque also claimed the Forte to have the largest cargo room in the segment with its 425L of space.

For guaranteed occupants’ safety, Kia made the 2019 Forte stronger with 54% Advanced High-Strength Steel. The seat frames were made lighter and are redesigned to offer more comfortable seating position. There are also new subframe designs and updated Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS), which improve the car's driving dynamics.

As far as output rating is concerned, there is going to be a lone source of power available for the 2019 Forte and that is the 2.0L Nu 4-cylinder engine with Atkinson Cycle technology. This gives the car 147 hp and 179 Nm of torque, while being coupled to either a 6-speed manual or the new Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT) gearbox from Kia.

IVT and CVT? What’s the difference? Basically, IVT is a transmission type that was made by negating the issues often experienced in Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT). This was done by rigging the transmission system with adaptive style shift logic using a chain-type belt instead of a push belt. The result, a smooth and linear acceleration, as Kia claims.

Lastly, the 2019 Forte is Apple CarPlay- and Android Auto-compatible via the floating 8-inch color touchscreen on the dashboard. More so, the cabin features wireless charging tray on the center stack for select Android devices, Apple iPhone 8, and iPhone X.

The 2019 Forte sedan will initially be available in 3 trims: LX, S, and EX. There are no details yet regarding when it will hit the market but it will likely be sold primarily in the US.

In the Philippines, local Kia distributors has already phased out the compact sedan. Does a new model increase the possibility of seeing the nameplate again in the future?