Kia introduced the 2019 Forte in Detroit last month
but the company is already planning a more exciting variant. Speaking with Motor Trend, Forte product manger
Derrick Ty said “We’re not done with Forte” and “We have more exciting products
that are coming that I can’t speak of.” Ty didn’t go into specifics but he
suggested “there’s a pretty good thing coming our way.”
There’s also hope the ‘more exciting’ variant could
be a performance-oriented model and Ty confirmed the turbocharged 2.0-liter
four-cylinder engine that resides in the Hyundai Veloster N would fit
“size-wise.” It produces 275 hp and 352 Nm of torque but
it seems like a long shot as Ty said installing the engine in the Forte would
require some changes to the chassis.
That’s certainly disappointing as the Forte is
powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is slated to produce 147 hp and 178 Nm of torque. While the performance figures remain
unchanged, the engine has been equipped with Atkinson Cycle technology and a
cooled EGR system. Thanks to these changes, the car is expected to return up to
35 mpg combined which would be a 3 mpg improvement over its predecessor.
