2010 Kia Forte
Kia will replace its best-selling Spectra this summer with the Forte, a slightly bigger and more powerful sedan. A coupe version of the Forte -- Kia's first coupe -- will follow in the fall. No coupe version will be offered in the United States to replace the Spectra coupe. The U.S. version of the Forte has not been priced. The Forte is 178.3 inches long and 69.9 inches wide, 1.1 inches longer and 1.6 inches wider than the 2009 Spectra. It sits on a 104.3-inch wheelbase, compared with the Spectra's 102.8-inch wheelbase. The base LX trim line will be powered by a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine that produces 156 hp and 144 pounds-feet of torque. That compares with the 2009 Spectra's 138 hp and 136 pounds-feet of torque. Added to the lineup is a 2.4-liter 173-hp I-4 that will be standard on the sporty SX trim. That engine produces 168 pounds-feet of torque. The SX gets a standard six-speed manual transmission or optional five-speed automatic with manual mode. The LX and EX trim lines have a standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. Estimated fuel economy is 25 mpg city/34 mpg highway for the four-speed automatic. The new five-speed automatic model gets an estimated 26/36 mpg.
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