When you see the new Kia Forte and the Forte5 you will notice a distinct difference from the past. While it was probably not a bad thing for the Forte to have its own styling, the fact that the Optima is the more stylish and admired sedan gave Kia that idea to change the Forte and Forte5 to appear to be smaller version of the Optima. Now we have a Forte that fits in as the compact sedan with tons of style and excellent equipment to be the compact sedan more of us will want to buy.

Not only has the look of the Forte been upgraded, but the power has also been improved. The base engine is now a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 lb.-ft. of torque. All engines are mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission and whit this one you will love the 25 city/34 hwy mpg of the manual or 29 city/38 hwy mpg you can have with the automatic. The next engine is the same size, but makes use of direct injection in order to bring in 164 horsepower and 160 lb.-ft. of torque while still returning good fuel mileage at 25 city/33 hwy mpg. There is a turbocharged engine that’s new this year which is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder model, but we don’t have the details of the power or fuel mileage just yet.

What many of us love about the KIA Forte is the fact it starts out with a low price and doesn’t get too high at all. The base model will cost you $17,300 with an additional $1,000 being called for if you want the automatic transmission. The Sedan S model will start around $20,000 and the top of the line EX begins at nearly $22,000. The hatchbacks will cost around $500 more than the sedans and you can increase the price some with added features, but even with all the boxes checked off the Forte is still an extremely affordable compact car for you to love.

For the price you pay you would expect there to be a stripped down mode, but the Forte comes standard with keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity, USB ports, air conditioning and a split folding rear seat on the base model. Moving up to the S model will add a few additional interior features to the standard list and the EX comes with some passive safety features for you to enjoy as well.

Of course, you can make your Forte feel more like a luxury car by adding great features to the bill. The features offered on this car include a navigation system, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate controls, the Kia UVO infotainment system, 18-inch wheels, heated and cooled seats and a power moonroof. Many of the features you’ll find for the Forte are bundled into packages that can be ordered for you to enjoy the ride.

The exterior styling does appear to be more akin to the Optima with a new grill and headlight treatments along with a new set of taillights. The Forte5 carries the same new front end to look like a miniaturized Optima hatchback, which might be an easy mistake to make if you don’t look closely at the vehicle. This makes for a new look and a fresh feel in a car that’s ready for you to drive.

Some of the more impressive new additions to the Forte includes automatic emergency braking, forward collision warnings, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. This makes the Forte a sedan and hatchback that offer you great looks and new technology to give you the agility and power that makes it a fun car to drive.

What do you want in a car? If you’re looking for a car that offers a dynamic driving personality while giving you plenty of great features all at a reasonable price the Kia Forte is the right car for you to drive. Stop by your local Kia dealership and see what they have to offer you with the new look of the Forte Sedan and Forte5 hatchback.