Dressed in heavy camouflage, the 2020 Kia Forte GT promises to be
even sportier than the base model. While the cladding hides most of the styling
changes, our spy shooter says the car will have a new front fascia with a
revised grille and larger air intakes. The modest styling changes continue out
back as the model has a modified rear bumper and a dual exhaust system.
While the styling changes don’t appear to be too
drastic, the model should receive a more powerful engine. Nothing is official,
but the most likely candidate is the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that
resides in the Hyundai Elantra Sport. It produces a healthy 201 hp and 264 Nm of torque.
If those numbers carryover to the Forte GT, the
model would have an additional 54 hp and 85 Nm of
torque. That’s a significant improvement over the base model which has a
2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 hp and 178
Nm of torque.
Since the GT will likely sit at or near the top of
the Forte lineup, we can expect the car will come nicely equipped with a
dual-zone climate control system, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and
an assortment of driver assistance systems. The cabin could also have a handful
of sporty styling touches, but nothing is official as of yet.
Considering the standard Forte won’t go on sale in
United States until later this year, it’s likely the Forte GT won’t be unveiled
until 2019.
