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2020 Kia Forte GT Road Test | Budget-friendly sport compact

It’s slim pickings out there for sport compact buyers. Just a decade ago, inexpensive sporty cars were relatively plentiful. Now? Not so much. If thereÂ’s any silver lining, itÂ’s that the few remaining small enthusiast sedans and hatchbacks are by and large quite decent little cars, this 2020 Kia Forte GT included. They also seem to be coming from the darndest places. Back when Mazda and Mitsubishi were still building cars like the Mazdaspeed3 and the Lancer Ralliart, Hyundai and Kia were effectively nowhere to be found in the sport compact segment. Yeah, the Tiburon existed; what more do you want us to say? Today, these Korean juggernauts are producing several affordable, enthusiast-friendly models. While itÂ’s no Stinger, the Forte GT boasts some reasonably credible specs. For starters, itÂ’s powered by a 201-horsepower, 1.6-liter turbo-four that also produces 195 pound-feet of torque. It can be ordered with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The GT also gets bigger brakes up front (12-inchers rather than the 11-inch discs on the base car) and larger wheels with optional Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer performance tires. Plus, it ditches the base ForteÂ’s twist-beam rear suspension in favor of a multi-link setup, which improves both ride quality and handling. ThereÂ’s a weight penalty to all this added kit, of course. The GT checks in at 2,989 pounds with the six-speed and 3,079 with the dual-clutch unit, amounting to about 300 pounds of added heft compared to a plain-Jane Forte.  The dearth of alternatives in this segment makes it somewhat difficult to put these numbers into context, but the best analogs (aside from the equivalent Hyundai Elantra) would be the VW Jetta GLI and the Honda Civic Si. Volkswagen and Honda have been in this game for decades, and it shows; the GLI has the Forte GT beat by just about every measurement save one – curb weight. The VW is as much as 300 pounds heavier depending on equipment, which is noteworthy considering their dimensions are otherwise just about identical. The Civic is lighter but otherwise goes pretty much spec-for-spec with the Forte GT. The HondaÂ’s edge comes from a helical limited-slip differential and an adaptive suspension, neither of which is found on the Kia. We sampled a loaded-up 2020 Forte GT with the dual-clutch automatic, and for better or worse, we found its real-world performance lined up just about perfectly with its spec sheet.

Kia bringing a performance EV to Geneva that'll 'get your pulse racing'

Kia just keeps going with the electric flow. The South Korean carmaker has already introduced the e-Niro and Soul EV, and in Europe will put a plug-in hybrid version of the Ceed wagon on sale later this year. Next month, Kia will unveil a performance-minded electric vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show. The company had almost nothing to say about it beyond the philosophical: The concept will be "a visual embodiment of the company's desire to move forward in the exciting world of electrification." Moving forward appears to mean addressing all of the enduring issues consumers have with EVs, meaning looks, range, performance and recharging. The Audi E-Tron GT set at least two of those bars unexpectedly high, so we look forward to finding out what Kia's European design center in Frankfurt has come up with. That means looking in a different direction than the electric Kia's that have come so far. The Geneva concept is meant to "get your pulse racing," and to "signpost our holistic and emotional approach to electrification." The Soul EV and e-Niro both use a 64-kWh battery to power a motor with 201 horsepower on to 238 miles of range. Since neither the Soul EV nor e-Niro are expected to get our hairs up with their driving chops, it's possible the Geneva concept ups the power on the motor in return for less range. But that would be less impressive than the press release billing, wouldn't it? And it would be a shame to waste the concept's bulging fender fenders and beastly lines on something, well ... less than totally electrifying.

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.