2022 Kia Forte Updated With New Design And Equipment

The Kia Forte was once quite a popular C-segment sedan in Malaysia thanks to its low price, great styling and extensive equipment list.

Today, it’s fallen a bit by the wayside locally under the Cerato name but is still in high demand in other markets around the world. The latest Forte model was recently enhanced in the US market with fresh new looks and some new equipment features as well.

The biggest change comes with the dynamic exterior styling. The 2022 Forte model incorporates more expressive headlights, a revised Tiger Nose Grille, redesigned bumpers with a wider, stronger look, LED foglights housed in the air intake grilles, new 16″ and 17″ dark metal grey alloy wheel designs, sportier LED taillights, and a new trunk lid spoiler.

Besides the upgrades to the looks, the new 2022 Forte also gets a larger 4.2″ colour LCD cluster on the instrument cluster as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard on all models via an 8″ infotainment unit.

You’ll also find an electronic parking brake and auto hold functionality. To top this all off, the Smart Key now features remote start on certain trim levels.

The Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) has been upgraded to include Lane Following Assist, Navigation-Based Smart Cruise Control, Highway Driving Assist, and Safe Exit Warning. There’s also Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist included in the suite as well, but only on the GT-Line model.

This Forte GT-Line also gets other goodies such as SynTex/cloth sports combination seats and a 10.25″ touchscreen.

Here’s the press release with more information.

PRESS RELEASE

The 2022 Forte compact sedan arrives with a host of enhancements including new front and rear design elements, a newly available 10.25-inch widescreen navigation display¹, and an expanded suite of new and upgraded Drive Wise ADAS technology². The compact sedan offers six standard ADAS² features and a total of 15 systems, including Lane Following Assist, Navigation-Based Smart Cruise Control, Highway Driving Assist³, and Safe Exit Warning⁵.

The Forte is available in four trim levels – FE, LXS, GT-Line and GT. For 2022, the EX model has been discontinued and a new GT-Line Sport Premium package has been added. Other new package offerings across the model range include LXS Technology, GT-Line Technology, and GT Technology, each with a unique combination of tech and ADAS systems².

For those wanting a sport-infused version of the Forte, the GT-Line trim offers an exceptional combination of performance styling and premium features. The wide array of content includes unique 17-inch wheels, sport exterior design elements, LED fog lights, sport combination seats with SynTex/cloth, sport steering wheel, a 10.25-inch navigation touchscreen¹, and Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist².         

At the top of the lineup, the Forte GT brings a true performance experience with a 201-horsepower turbo 4-cylinder engine. This 200+ HP sports compact sedan is a standout in the segment for its balanced driving dynamics and boasts a standard 7-speed DCT. It is also one of few such offerings with an available manual transmission.

The Forte will continue to be built in Monterrey, Mexico.

A More Dynamic Exterior

The exterior of the 2022 Forte incorporates a new design identity with enhanced styling elements in the front and rear. Updates include:

• Sleeker, more expressive headlight designs
• Next-generation tiger-nose grille
• Revised front and rear bumpers to accentuate a wider, stronger image
• LED fog lights seamlessly integrated into air-intake grille (GT, GT-Line only)
• New 16-inch and 17-inch dark metal gray alloy wheel designs (LXS, GT-Line only)
• Sportier LED taillight/rear combination lamp design (GT, GT-Line only)
• New trunk lid spoiler emphasizes rear width and stability

High Tech Interior

Within, the 2022 Forte delivers a modern cabin defined by a driver centric, high-tech interior space. Key feature enhancements include:

• A larger 4.2-inch color TFT LCD cluster (standard on all trims)
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto⁶ is now standard through the 8-inch touchscreen display audio/infotainment system (standard on FE, LXS)
• 10.25-inch wide touchscreen¹ navigation/infotainment standard on GT and GT-Line, includes free MapCare updates
• Center console with newly available integrated Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) and Auto Hold
• Available rear USB charger
• Smart Key now features remote start⁷ (standard on GT, GT-Line)
• Available SynTex synthetic leather seating

In addition, the Forte continues to deliver a comfortable and spacious five-seat cabin with up to 111.3 cu.-ft. of passenger and cargo volume.

Smooth and Sporty Performance

The Forte still offers two proven engines, allowing customers to choose between an enjoyable driving experience that is either smooth and efficient or deliberately sporty and responsive:    

• 2.0-liter MPI I-4 engine (FE, LXS, GT-Line)
  • Intelligent Continuously Variable Transmission (IVT)
  • 147 horsepower/132 lb.-ft. torque
  • FE trim achieves 41 MPG Highway⁴
• Turbocharged 1.6-liter GDI I-4 engine (GT)
  • 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) or 6-speed manual transmission 
  • 201 horsepower/195 lb.-ft. torque
  • Multi-link rear suspension
  • Dual sport-tuned exhaust

Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems

The 2022 Forte makes several enhancements to its suite of Kia Drive Wise Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)². There are six standard ADAS features and as many as 15 systems in total. New features to the Forte include:

• Standard Lane Following Assist (LFA): Follows lane markings that the system detects and provides steering inputs to help maintain the vehicle in the center of the lane
• Available Highway Driving Assist (HDA)³: Uses federal highway speed limit information from the navigation system and, under certain conditions, will automatically adjust speed to be within the posted speed limit and help to maintain distance with the vehicle detected in front
• Available Navigation Based Smart Cruise Control-Curve (NSCC-C): Leverages the navigation system to lower the vehicle’s speed proactively before upcoming curves 
• Available Navigation Based Smart Cruise Control-Zone (NSCC-Z): Leverages the navigation system to lower the vehicle’s speed proactively to adapt to changing speed limits on the highway 
• Available Safe Exit Warning (SEW)⁵: Can alert the driver or passengers of certain potential hazards approaching from behind when exiting the vehicle

The following systems² were upgraded over the previous model year:

• Available Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist (BCA): Under certain conditions, can detect vehicles traveling in the next lane. When a vehicle is “seen” in the blind spot, the vehicle brakes the outer wheel under certain conditions to help return the vehicle to its lane
• Standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA-Ped): Assists the driver when braking to help prevent a collision or lessen the effects in certain conditions if a vehicle or pedestrian is detected in front
• Available Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA-Cyc): Assists the driver when braking to help prevent a collision or lessen the effects in certain conditions if a vehicle, pedestrian or cyclist is detected in front
• Available Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist (RCCA): Helps detect most approaching cross traffic when in reverse. When approaching cross traffic is detected, the system alerts the driver and may apply the brakes

Other standard ADAS features include Driver Attention Warning (DAW)⁸, Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), and Lane Keep Assist (LKA)².