2014 Kia Forte is What's Cookin', Good Lookin'

We've given it a good once-over in the flesh, and honestly, it might just be the best-looking car in the C-segment class.

There's a whole lot in store for the new Forte, including a choice of two four-cylinder gasoline engines: a 1.8-liter unit making 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque, and a larger, direct-injected 2.0-liter mill that cranks out 173 hp and 153 lb-ft. Six-speed transmissions are standard across the board, and a proper manual 'box is available on the base LX trim with the 1.8-liter mill.

As you can imagine, the Kia Forte is available with lots of premium features that are no strangers to the compact class, including leather seating, navigation/infotainment, LED running lamps at the front and back, and even high-intensity discharge headlamps. A choice of 15-, 16- and 17-inch wheels are available (depending on trim – only the base LX manual gets the 15s), and all in, the Forte is now a seriously more attractive (literally) proposition than it was in its last generation.