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:

Instrument panel overview
1. Driver’s air bag 2. Light control / Turn signals 3. Instrument cluster 4. Wiper/Washer 5. Ignition switch 6. Steering wheel 7. Digital clock 8. Hazard 9. Audio controls (if equipped) 1 ...

Air bag - supplemental restraint system
* The actual air bags in the vehicle may differ from the illustration. (1) Driver’s front air bag (2) Passenger’s front air bag (3) Side impact air bag (if equipped) (4) Curtain air bag (if ...

Smooth and Comfortable Ride
With a wheelbase of 104.3 inches, an overall length of 178.3 inches, an overall width of 69.9 inches and overall height of 57.5 inches, Kia Forte offers one of the roomiest interiors in its class ...