With all the focus on crossovers and hot hatches, the compact sedan isn’t the most favorable car in the market—at least for 2022. Kia hasn’t given up the fight and introduced the 2022 Kia Forte GT Line. Don’t let the ‘GT’ fool you. It’s tuned more for comfort than performance.
Jakub and Yuri of TheStraightPipes reviewed the 2022 Kia Forte GT Line to determine if it’s any better than its closest rivals, the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda 3, and the Toyota Corolla.
It’s not news anymore, the sedan market is slowly dying out, and many auto manufacturers are putting all their focus on SUVs and crossovers. Mitsubishi, Ford, GM, among other automakers, have dramatically pared down their sedan offerings, and the sales figures show.
The 2022 Kia Forte GT Line is a fresh new offering from the Korean automaker. It has a refined contemporary look that includes an updated exterior and tech features. It’s at par with the Civic in design, faster than the Corolla, but under-tuned for a car with a ‘GT’ tag.
Unlike the Hyundai Elantra, the Forte GT Line is calm. It has a new upper grille with stylish headlamps and taillights, redesigned bumpers, safety features, and a trunk lid spoiler depending on the trim.
It might not beat the Civic overall, but it’s much better for highway driving with its safety lane-keeping assist and centering. It also uses Kia’s IVT (Intelligent Variable Transmission) that uses a chain instead of a belt that makes up for quieter, rapid shifts than a regular CVT.
Under the hood, it has a 2-liter four-cylinder engine paired to an IVT, making 147 HP and 179 Nm of torque. It handles well, but since it’s a front-wheel-drive, you’ll often feel the rear wobble driving fast on winding roads.
With a starting price of $21,272, the 2022 Kia Forte GT Line is an ideal car for a buyer looking for comfort over performance.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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