The 2024 Kia Forte doesn’t change much from last year, but that bodes well for prices.
With studies and new reports hammering home the fact that car ownership is more expensive than ever, truly “affordable” cars are getting tougher to find by the year. Fortunately, the 2024 Kia Forte still offers an option right around $20,000, depending on whether you factor in destination fees. When you do factor in that unavoidable $1,125 charge, Kia’s least expensive model starts off at $20,915.
That’s $100 more than last year, but Kia can still correctly claim the Forte is the most affordable car in its class. In fact, it’s one of the cheapest new cars in the U.S. market period, with the only lower-cost options being the Nissan Versa or the Mitsubishi Mirage. Even the refreshed Nissan Sentra is a few hundred dollars more. So, if you’re strictly looking at bottom-line pricing, the Forte still comes out ahead.
What’s actually different for 2024?
The only real “change” for the 2024 Kia Forte boils down to packaging changes on the GT-Line. Specifically, the driver assistance features formerly bundled into the Tech Package now come standard, including “Front Collision Alert (FCA) Fusion”. No, I don’t get the name either, but that’s the marketing term for a combination of Kia’s Front Collision Alert-Cyclist system, the electronic parking brake, Highway Driver Assist and navigation-assisted Smart Cruise Control.
Other than that, the 2024 Kia Forte carries over virtually unchanged. If you can find an LX in dealer inventory or you’re patient enough to order your own, the base model rolls on 15-inch steelies, while you also get an 8-inch infotainment screen and a 4.2-inch driver information display. You also get an engine immobilizer, which has been a serious sore spot with Kia and Hyundai models as of late — so hopefully that will help you actually insure the car. Even though it’s about as basic as cars come these days with regard to entertainment features (you get a four-speaker sound system, but that’s it), the LX still includes Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Rear Occupant Detection Alert and Driver Attention Warning.
Lower-end 2024 Kia Forte models pack a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, putting out 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. A CVT is the only transmission available here, sending power exclusively to the front wheels.
At the top of the range, you can still get the 2024 Kia Forte GT with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. Unlike the rest of the range, the GT gets a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine putting out 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. It also gets the full suite of Forte features, including 18-inch alloy wheels, sport-tuned exhaust and suspension, dual-zone automatic climate control, wireless smartphone charging and a beefier audio system (6 speakers if you get the DCT, or an 8-speaker Harman Kardon system if you go for the manual GT).
2024 Kia Forte pricing by trim
Pricing across this year’s Forte lineup is as follows, including the $1,125 destination fee:
- LX: $20,915 (+$100 from 2023)
- LXS: $21,415 (+$100)
- GT-Line: $23,415 (+$400)
- GT DCT: $25,615 (+$100)
- GT Manual: $26,315 (+$100)
2024 Forte models are hitting dealerships right now.
