Safety-Minded
As with the rest of the Kia line-up, the 2009 Kia Optima is equipped with many safety features as standard equipment. This includes six airbags (dual advanced front and front-seat mounted side as well as full-length side curtain), front active headrests, side-impact door beams, height-adjustable front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force limiters, three-point seatbelts for all seating positions, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The Electronic Stability Control Package adds Electronic Stability Control (ESC), a Traction Control System (TCS), brake assist and four-wheel anti-lock brakes.
See also:
Safety
The Kia Sportage boasts six standard airbags -- front and side-impact airbags
for both driver and passenger, and side curtain airbags for both front- and
rear-seat occupants. Four-wheel antilock d ...
Peppy Performance
Kia Forte LX and EX are powered by a 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine,
producing 156 horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque, that features
Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) and multi-p ...
Handling: Capable but Not Quite There
As noted in our prior drives of the SX sedan, the Forte’s chassis isn’t tuned
for serenity. The hatchback’s MacPherson-strut front and torsion-beam rear
suspension, combined with 17-inch whe ...


