I recently flew out to Austin, Texas, where I had the chance to sample Kia’s all-new K4 compact sedan, the replacement for its popular Forte. It’s already beginning to hit dealers and, like the Forte, the K4 comes in the same variety of trims. The range includes the base LX and LXS, the mid-level EX, and the GT-Line and GT-Line Turbo at the top. But if you’re a fan of the last Forte, you probably noticed that the sporty GT model is absent from K4’s lineup.
However, the K4 isn’t without an optional powertrain upgrade, as the old Forte GT’s 1.6-liter turbo-four carries over to the GT-Line Turbo, just slightly detuned. The regular Forte’s naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-banger with a continuously variable transmission still serves as the standard powertrain. But to find out what the deal is with the prospect of a K4 GT, I spoke with the model’s project leader, Young Kim, to find out what happened to the GT model.
The GT-Line Turbo Is The Forte GT’s Grown-Up Successor
The Forte GT was a hot and sporty version that picked fights with the
and Volkswagen Jetta GLI. With its 200 horses and 195 torques and the choice of either an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic or a six-speed manual, it nearly matched the competition on paper. It also featured sport-tuned suspension, came fully loaded with all the options, and sportier exterior and interior appointments. Yet, it was considerably cheaper than the competition without compromising on its driving experience. Although not as fast or sharp enough to knock the Civic Si off of its winning pedestal, the Forte GT was still a plenty good time.
A sporty GT model, however, is no longer a part of the equation. Instead, the GT-Line Turbo takes the old GT model’s place as the line-up’s flagship. The same punchy 1.6-liter turbo from the Forte GT remains, but with 11 fewer horses and the same at 195 pound-feet of twist. The other major difference is that the GT Line Turbo’s 1.6-liter now gets a conventional torque converter-based eight-speed automatic, versus the previous eight-speed dual-clutch unit.
“There’s no plans for GT at this moment,”
– Young Kim, the K4’s project manager, exclusively told me in our interview.
“I think the GT line Turbo is really designed to build the same needs of that customer. It’s got great power with 190 horsepower, and 195 pound-feet of torque. It’s got very good drivability for everyday usability, and it’s got a new eight-speed automatic, which is a little bit more refined than what we used in the Forte GT,” Kim explained, when asked why the GT is missing from the K4’s lineup.
Though while it’s not available at launch, and it’s not on the radar for now, Kim did say things do change and there’s always the possibility that the situation could change, favoring the prospect of a new K4 GT.
“We’ll continue to monitor the market. If we find there’s ever a need or an opportunity to have something placed in a position above a K4 GT-Line Turbo, I think we will consider that,”
When asked what influenced the decision to omit the GT from the K4 lineup this time around, Kim mentioned that he and his team felt the GT-Line Turbo would fulfill the old Forte GT’s role much better. With the K4’s current mission, it better aligns with customer feedback that they received.
“ I think, in terms of offering customers a high-performance powertrain, the GT Line Turbo really fills the need. The naming might be different, but for customers that want a compact sedan with higher horsepower, I think that GT Line Turbo really fills that spot in our lineup. With Forte in general, we won Initial Quality Surveys six years in a row, two years in a row we won JD Power’s award for reliability. We doubled the share in this segment over six years. So everything about that car, including the GT trim, really showed that we understand the customer in the segment and that we know what we’re doing in terms of what we’re offering.”
“Sales were strong enough to justify offering the 1.6 Turbo in the K4 GT-Line, and it strikes a fine balance between everyday usability and sportiness, and being fun to drive. Yet, it’s really comfortable and refined for everyday use. But you know, for the special occasion when you want to have fun with the car, it’s also very responsive as well.”
Why Would We Want To See A K4 GT?
With cars like the Honda Civic Si and Type R,
, and Hyundai Elantra N around, all three are solid proof that high-performance compact sedans are in demand. But more so, with other automakers vowing to revive some iconic affordable sports cars from its past, it’s clear that cheap and accessible performance is something that will never die out.
Because Kia proved how compelling its cars can be, especially with the former BMW M Chief Engineer of 40 years still advising Kia’s chassis and powertrain divisions, it would be great to see Kia dip its toes in the high-performance sport compact segment. It’s sister company already is and has been, with its N performance division, and cars like the Elantra N, IONIQ 5 N, and the old Veloster N. Kia alone proved that it’s capable of making formidable performance vehicles too with the Stinger and the K5 GT. So it’s clear that Kia knows and has the resources to make an excellent, fun, and fast car.
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