Kia Forte5 Likely to Come Back to U.S. Market

Reports recently surfaced of an executive order Kia Motors submitted to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that seems to have left a placeholder for a new Forte5.

The previous version of the model was sold in the United States until 2018. However, the American market missed out on the succeeding version of the Forte sedan that was released in the latter part of the previous year.

The South Korean automaker’s CARB filing includes four Forte trims for the 2020 model year: a Forte sedan without smart cruise control (SCC) offered in Kia’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission or a six-speed manual; a Forte sedan with SCC that comes with the DCT; a Forte5 with the DCT; and a Forte5 with the DCT and SCC.

All four models are equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder, turbocharged with 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. However, the engine is currently only available for the Soul GT. The Forte sedan is listed to have a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) manipulating gear ratios.

But Forte’s product manager seems to have given a hint on upcoming changes and improvements in the Forte5.

“We’re not done with Forte. We have more exciting products that are coming that I can’t speak of,” the company said.

What’s confirmed so far is that there is an ongoing production version of the Forte GT featuring the 1.6-liter, which could probably be pertaining to two of the vehicles on Kia’s CARB listing.

Another executive, this time from Kia Canada, mentioned at the launch of the new Forte5 hatchback in January 2019 that the country is “the first in North America to get up close to a brand-new vehicle.”

This could mean that the United States will also have the privilege of having the Forte5 available in the market.

The Forte5 hatchback currently sold in Canada comes with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder in base trim, and will offer the 1.6-liter as part of a “GT performance upgrade”. Interested buyers can also expect LED headlights and 18-inch wheels on Michelin Super Sport tires.