The Forte’s cabin has an attractive design, and its materials are of class-appropriate quality. Still, some competitors’ cabins feature higher-quality materials. Front-seat occupants have more than enough head- and legroom and the back seats can reasonably accommodate a pair of adults.
The rear outboard seats have full sets of LATCH connectors for child safety seats, while the rear middle seat has an upper tether anchor. The quality of the interior is certainly acceptable, but it's a noticeable step down from what you'll find in an Elantra or Volkswagen Golf.
| Models |
Kia Forte Sedan
|
Hyundai Elantra Sedan
|
Suzuki SX4 Sedan
|
Toyota Corolla
|
|
Passenger Capacity
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
|
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in)
|
40/55.7/43.3
|
40/55.9/43.6
|
39.6/53.3/41.4
|
38.8/54.8/411.7
|
|
Rear (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in)
|
37.6/54.7/35.0
|
37.1/54.8/33.1
|
38.0/52.8/36.4
|
37.2/54.7/36.3
|
|
Cargo Capacity (All Seats In Place)
|
14.7 cu-ft
|
14.8 cu-ft
|
15.5 cu-ft
|
12.3 cu-ft
|
With a rather tall roof and high seating position, you get a reasonably good view outward from the front seats, and the cabin feels airy. Front seats are a bit short and flat, but there's lots of legroom, and the backseat has plenty of (legroom-limited) space for two adults, three in a pinch. Interior appointments are unremarkable, but they stand as better than what we've seen in the latest Toyota Corolla, while Kia has done a great job sealing out road noise.
The sedan has a good amount of cargo room, with 12.6 cubic feet and 14.7 cubic feet, respectively. The hatchback version is even better, with 19.4 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats that expand to 44.2 cubic feet with those seatbacks folded down to make a flat load floor. Some of the interior features in the 2013 Kia Forte are:
- Single Zone Front Air Conditioning
- Cruise Control
- Retained Accessory Power
- Tilt And Telescopic Steering Wheel
- Audio Controls On Steering Wheel
- 1 One-Touch Power Windows
- Heated Mirrors
- Auto-Dimming Mirror W/Compass
- 6 -Way Manual Driver Seat Adjustments
2013 Kia Forte Infotainment System:
All Forte trims get Bluetooth, Sirius satellite radio, and an auxiliary input jack for the audio system, plus steering wheel controls and voice activation. A Technology Package brings navigation, SiriusXM, XMTraffic, automatic climate control, and push-button start, plus other upgrades.
The gauges are large and clearly legible, but we would like the engine temperature readout to be a separate display rather than incorporated into the trip computer. Some of the standard infotainment features on the Kia Forte include:
- 3 Months Of Provided Satellite Radio Service
- Speed-Sensitive Volume Control
- USB Connection
- Bluetooth Connectivity
- Voice Recognition
- 6 Total Speakers
- Auxiliary Audio
