2011 Kia Forte 5-Door Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Kia Forte Hatchback review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Forte 5-Door, and includes Kia Forte Hatchback safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

Kia expands the Forte lineup with the addition of a handsome and handy hatchback model. Offered in EX and SX trim levels, the Forte 5-Door provides added practicality in a stylish package.

The all-new 2011 Kia Forte 5-Door is sold in EX and SX trim levels, with the latter serving as the performance-oriented version. Each model comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission, and a six-speed Sportmatic automatic with manual shift capability is optional.

Standard equipment for the EX model includes a complete suite of information and entertainment features, such as Bluetooth, a USB port, an auxiliary audio input jack, a CD/MP3 player, and satellite radio with a free three-month trial subscription. Kia’s Power Bass surround sound speaker system is also included. Now that the important details are out of the way, we can also report that 16-inch alloy wheels, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power heated side mirrors with embedded turn signal indicators, a tilt steering wheel, cruise control, and floor mats are standard. Cloth seats and a height-adjustable driver’s seat are included, too.

Aside from the Sportmatic transmission, options for the EX model include an auto-dimming rearview mirror with a compass, a HomeLink programmable remote control, remote engine starting, a power sunroof, and a Technology Package with navigation, a reversing camera, automatic climate control, keyless entry and push-button starting, automatic headlights, and fog lights.

Step up to the SX, and you’ll get a more powerful engine, a performance-tuned suspension, an improved braking system, and 17-inch alloy wheels with sportier tires. Inside, Supervision gauges and metallic trim accents are packaged with sport cloth upholstery and leather trim for the tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel and the shift knob. Options mirror the EX model, but the SX can also be upgraded with a Leather Package that includes heated front seats.

Kia provides a choice between engines with the Forte 5-Door, and they are tied to trim level. The EX model is equipped with a 2.0-liter, 156-horsepower four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox or six-speed Sportmatic automatic with a manual shift gate. According to the EPA, this engine gets 25 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway with the manual transmission, 26 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway with the Sportmatic transmission.

The Forte SX hatchback has a 2.4-liter, 173-horsepower four-cylinder engine with a standard manual gearbox and optional Sportmatic transmission. On the SX model, Sportmatic includes shift paddles mounted to the steering wheel. Fuel economy ratings are 22-city/32-highway with the manual and 23-city/32-highway with the automatic.

Both of the Forte 5-Door’s powertrains is covered by an impressive 10-year/100,000-mile warranty. Basic warranty coverage measures five-years/60,000-miles, and includes free roadside assistance.

The 2011 Kia Forte Hatchback comes with a four-wheel-disc antilock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, traction control, stability control, and six airbags. A reversing camera is bundled with the optional Technology Package on both models.

According to crash tests conducted under the new, stricter guidelines that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has adopted for 2011, you’ll need those airbags. In the frontal-impact tests, driver protection is rated 5 Stars while the front passenger is protected at 3-Star levels. In a side impact, driver protection rates 3 Stars in the barrier test and 2 Stars in the pole test. Rear passenger protection gets a 5-Star rating, and rollover resistance is rated at 4 Stars. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the Forte Sedan a Top Safety Pick rating, but says this does not apply to the Forte 5-Door, which the IIHS has not tested.

Reliability, at least based on predictions from Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates, is expected to prove average at best.

In discussing the Kia Forte, it’s helpful to remember that the word “forte” means a strong point, a strength. So let’s start with the Forte’s fortes. First, we think this small hatchback is extremely attractive, possessing balanced proportions and a simple, understated elegance that frequently eludes inexpensive small cars. Its cargo area is incredibly useful, belying its compact exterior, and like most small hatchbacks and wagons, it swallows up an amazing amount of belongings. The SX model’s cabin is a pleasant place to spend your commute, with lots of infotainment gadgets and decent materials furnishing the interior. And thanks to a low base price and a sizable list of standard features, it’s feasible to equip a Forte with all the upgrades that a consumer with limited means might desire, with few compromises.

The 173-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood of our Forte SX stirred up impressive acceleration, too, along with more than its fair share of noise. The Kia’s engine lacks that spooling swell of momentum and refined I’m-gonna-rev-forever blast to redline that the best four-cylinder engines possess. Those powerplants make you feel like you’re going fast, even if you aren’t. The Kia is moving at a pretty good clip, but doesn’t sound or feel like it.

We’re also of the notion that a petite, lightweight compact car ought to be great fun in the twisties, but that’s not this Kia’s forte. While body roll is well managed, the SX model’s overly stiff suspension tuning transmitted every single road zit into the cabin in an obtrusive, unbecoming way. Plus, the stability control system is hyperactive about engaging just when a smile is crossing your face.

More consternation is reserved for the driver’s seat. It was universally panned by our test drivers for creating discomfiture, as the lack of thigh, lumbar and lateral support made driving this Kia a chore. Seats are a fairly easy fix, however, and we suspect that we’d be much more inclined to like this handsome little vehicle if our bums were a bit happier.

Hatchbacks are making a bit of a comeback these days, as Americans downsize for better fuel economy but still desire the functionality they’ve come to enjoy in crossover SUVs. We think the Forte 5-Door is one of the better looking models on the market, but unimpressive crash-test scores from the NHTSA and middling reliability predictions have us thinking that perhaps careful consideration of competitors might be in order.

By Christian Wardlaw and Liz Kim