The 2020 Kia Forte GT is a new high-performance version of Kia's compact sedan.

It comes with a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four with 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque.



The Forte GT starts at $23,215 and will go on sale in late summer 2019.



UPDATE 8/6/19: The 2020 Kia Forte GT starts at $23,215 with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and $23,815 with a six-speed manual transmission. That's $1515 less than the related Hyundai Elantra Sport sedan, and it strikes us as a decent performance bargain. We have updated our story accordingly.

Since the debut of its new Forte sedan, Kia has attempted to make a tenuous styling link between it and the sporty, rear-wheel-drive Stinger. That connection becomes more legitimate with the arrival of the 2020 Kia Forte GT, a higher-performance version of the compact four-door that contains all the ingredients for a true sport compact: a turbocharged engine with 201 horsepower, an available manual transmission, a tweaked suspension, and aggressive visual additions.

Under the Forte GT's hood is a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine making the same 201 horsepower that it did in the last Forte 5 SX hatchback. It pairs with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the latter coming with paddle shifters for the flat-bottom steering wheel. Several handling upgrades are available, too, starting with a rear suspension setup that trades the standard Forte's torsion beam for a fully independent arrangement—we assume it's the same multilink rear as the related Hyundai Elantra Sport. A set of 18-inch wheels wrapped in optional Michelin Sport summer rubber should provide more grip than the base car offers.

View Photos Kia

Adding to the Forte GT's presence on the road are a number of visual tweaks including a body kit, a rear spoiler, a black grille, and two-tone wheels. Inside, you'll find different pedals, the aforementioned flat-bottom steering wheel, and sport seats with contrasting piping and additional bolstering. Kia will offer the automatic-transmission car with a $2200 GT2 package that adds features such as a power driver's seat, blind-spot monitoring, a sunroof, adaptive cruise control, and cooled front seats. Summer tires are also available for $200.

For now, the Forte GT is available only as a sedan, but a Forte hatchback could arrive sometime this year with its own, similar GT trim. Already on sale in Canada, the Forte hatch will likely carry the Forte 5 name in the U.S. market.

In the meantime, the 2020 Forte GT sedan will go on sale on our shores next summer with a base price of $23,215 with the automatic and $23,815 with the manual.

View Photos Courtesy of Kia

This story was originally published in October 2018.

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