Photo: Kia
A few weeks ago, our spies captured the hot version of the new 2019 Kia Forte undergoing testing. We immediately began to suspect that we were dealing with a Forte GT, and our suspicions were confirmed by a debut in Korea.
The automaker launched a model called the K3 GT there, and since the K3 is always closely related to the Forte sedan, it's a safe bet that we're looking at the Forte GT here. What's more, there's a hatchback twist to this story.
The specs for the K3 GT sedan are quite familiar. It uses a 1.6-liter turbo engine to make the usual 200-ish horsepower (204 PS or 201-hp) and 195 lb-ft (265 Nm) of torque. Just like the much older Hyundai Elantra Sport, this car uses a multi-link rear setup, bigger brakes and tweaked steering. We'll remind you that in America, the only Forte engine is a 2-liter with 147-hp.
The K3 GT is available with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The styling is quite similar to the European Ceed GT, which just made its debut in Paris. For example, the upper grille has the same ghosted red behind the gloss black.
However, there are differences as well, like the fact that the exhaust tips are more conservatively shaped, as are the 18-inch wheels. But the big surprise for us is the K3 GT hatchback. Its styling is different from that of the Ceed if you look at things like the windows, taillights or trunk.
The America Kia lineup offers the Forte5 hatchback, which also looks different from the Ceed, even though it's made in Europe on the same assembly line. Will there be a hot version of the Forte5? Most likely. Currently, the car is called the Forte5 SX Turbo, and it's a trim level. Some would even argue that it's a poorly named trim level.
The specs for the K3 GT sedan are quite familiar. It uses a 1.6-liter turbo engine to make the usual 200-ish horsepower (204 PS or 201-hp) and 195 lb-ft (265 Nm) of torque. Just like the much older Hyundai Elantra Sport, this car uses a multi-link rear setup, bigger brakes and tweaked steering. We'll remind you that in America, the only Forte engine is a 2-liter with 147-hp.
The K3 GT is available with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The styling is quite similar to the European Ceed GT, which just made its debut in Paris. For example, the upper grille has the same ghosted red behind the gloss black.
However, there are differences as well, like the fact that the exhaust tips are more conservatively shaped, as are the 18-inch wheels. But the big surprise for us is the K3 GT hatchback. Its styling is different from that of the Ceed if you look at things like the windows, taillights or trunk.
The America Kia lineup offers the Forte5 hatchback, which also looks different from the Ceed, even though it's made in Europe on the same assembly line. Will there be a hot version of the Forte5? Most likely. Currently, the car is called the Forte5 SX Turbo, and it's a trim level. Some would even argue that it's a poorly named trim level.
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