2014 Kia Forte Hatchback First Look

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From the auto show floor: To debut Kia's first-ever turbo compact car, the automaker had an a cappella group sing, "We Are Young," and showed the recent 2014 Forte sedan Super Bowl ad. Whether the Forte sedan and four-door hatchback variant catches on in the compact segment remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: this is great-looking hatch. When Kia replaced the Spectra with the Forte, it kept things relatively simple and all three body styles had the same basic sheetmetal. The Korean brand's fortunes have improved considerably since the Forte first rolled out, and product planners decided to get fancy. The 2014 Kia Forte hatchback -- Kia calls it the Forte 5-door -- being shown at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show not only gets distinct sheetmetal, but also its own powertrain lineup. Up front, the only bits the Forte hatchback shares with the sedan are the headlights and hood. The rest of the front end, which features a shrunken version of Kia's corporate smile paired with a large lower grille and round foglamps, is unique to the hatch. The rear end has similarly shaped taillights as the sedan along with a similar bumper, but the rest is unique for obvious reasons. Overall, the Forte hatch has a stylish, European look, and you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for the new c'eed. The two Kia hatches may have some similarities, but in a strange twist, the c'eed actually looks more like the Forte sedan, at least from the front. Under the hood, the Forte hatch packs the 173-hp, 154-lb-ft 2.0-liter I-4 that's an optional base engine in the sedan and the 201-hp, 195-lb-ft 1.6-liter turbo-four found in the Hyundai Veloster Turbo as its optional powertrain. Both come with a six-speed automatic, though the more powerful turbo is also offered with a six-speed manual. Kia will offer the Forte hatch in two trims, EX and SX. Though the full feature list is not yet available, we do know the base EX comes with the less powerful engine and 16-inch wheels, while the SX receives the turbo-four and sharp-looking 18-inch wheels. We also know that both will have the option of HID headlights, navigation, sunroof, heated steering wheel, 10-way power adjustable driver's seat, push-button start, dual-zone climate control, and more. SX models also receive a more aggressive front fascia, dual exhaust tips, larger front brakes, and fake carbon-fiber trim. Pricing won't be available until closer to the car's on-sale date, which Kia says will be sometime in the third quarter of this year, but expect around $ 20,000 for the EX and $ 23,000 for the SX.

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