I have made many memories behind the 2025 KIA Forte GT-Line steering wheel. I spend at least an hour everyday driving, which is a big part of my lifestyle and job. This was my first new car purchase, and I needed a vehicle I could truly rely on, primarily since I work at a dealership and drive new cars regularly. However, this one still meets my needs despite the temptation to get a new car.
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Why I Chose the 2025 KIA Forte GT-Line
What initially attracted me to the 2025 KIA Forte GT-Line trim was its sporty design. The Kia Forte isn’t trying to be flashy, but the 2025 KIA Forte GT-Line and GT Limited trims have a sporty appeal, making them stand out from other compact cars. I appreciate the sleek design—it’s stylish without being over the top.
Another significant factor in my decision was the safety and convenience features. Full LED headlights, fog lights, and attractive red and black accents on the grille all contribute to its appealing look. The car also had various safety features, which were essential to me. The one thing I would change is the engine.
I chose the 2.0L naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine over the 1.6L turbo primarily because of insurance costs. While the 147 horsepower engine is adequate for my needs as a commuter, it’s not exactly thrilling. However, I knew that when I made the purchase.
What About the 2025 KIA Forte GT-Line
Aside from the styling, the 17-inch alloy wheels, the LED taillights, and the GT-Line badging. I tinted the windows, as I’m not a fan of the fishbowl look and appreciate the lip spoiler on the trunk. Speaking of the trunk, while it’s not massive, it’s spacious enough to fit everything I need, including coolers, an inflatable kayak, and various other items from Facebook Marketplace finds.
The rear seats are also quite functional for a compact car. They’re heated, with a center armrest, air vents, and a USB-C port in the back. I also installed tux mats to clean the carpets, especially during the salty Canadian winters.
Inside the 2025 KIA Forte GT-Line
Inside, the car has a sporty feel that I enjoy. The headliner is black, and the windows are dark, which is just how I like it. The 10.25-inch touchscreen is still fast and responsive after two years, and I appreciate the user profiles that allow you to save your settings. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is heated, and all the essential controls, like driver assistance and volume, are conveniently located on it.
One of the key reasons I chose this car was its advanced safety features, which provide peace of mind. The dual climate control is another highlight, as I often drive with passengers with different temperature preferences. I also frequently use the wireless phone charger.
2025 KIA Forte Performance and Driving Experience
The car has an Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT), which I have mixed feelings about. It’s not my favorite, but it doesn’t bother me enough to consider a new car. The drive mode selector allows me to switch between sport and intelligent modes, which enhances the transmission’s responsiveness when needed.
While the 2025 Kia Forte GT-Line isn’t a performance vehicle, it delivers a comfortable and enjoyable driving experience for a compact car. The interior space is adequate, and I find it very comfortable, even during long drives.
Overview 2025 KIA Forte
In the USA, the sedan has been the pillar of the automotive industry; recently, however, its place is beginning to be threatened by changes in customer taste and new trends. Regardless, some names are recorded in the consumer’s mind.
Today, the 2025 KIA Forte is doing its part to join that group because, at least with complex data, it is positioned as one of the best sellers in Mexico. For this reason and on the occasion of its mid-life update, we have tested the KIA Forte GT Line 2025 to discover the keys to its success and why it is where it is.
I already told you that KIA entered the USA through the front door, and in just six years, it achieved what brands, in theory, more significant than it, took at least a decade to achieve. Part of that success is due to the KIA Forte, the compact sedan that has been climbing the sales order in Mexico little by little until it is the second best-seller in the sales report for the first half of 2021. This is not a coincidence, and I’ll explain why below.
Beyond problems with the supply of components due to the crisis generated by the pandemic that has affected some of its closest rivals, KIA worked very well on the market analysis and came in offering a beautiful balance of versions, equipment, and even warranty.
Speaking of versions, this generation of Forte made an exciting move: It made a top-of-the-range double model available to the customer. Let me explain: KIA has a KIA Forte GT Line and a GT available.
The name 2025 KIA Forte GT Line may make us think that; like other KIA brands or models, we are simply looking at a model with a sportier appearance but without much extra equipment, such as the top-of-the-range GT—simply—and without a more powerful engine. Even the mechanical section is correct, but the rest of the equipment practically offers the best of the most expensive variants, except for a couple of elements that can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Visually, it is the same car as the 2025 KIA Forte GT, with the same body kit with red contrasts, a more aggressive fascia, side skirts, a more detailed bumper, a minor spoiler, 17″ wheels, LED headlights and skulls, and a sunroof. You have to be very observant to differentiate them. The changes are that there is no GT emblem on the grill, no visible double exhaust tips, and the symbol on the trunk says GT Line.
Inside, the 2025 KIA Forte GT Line is almost identical to the GT model. There are no fundamental differences, at least in terms of quality, assembly, and materials. Everything is still of good quality and, at the level of the price you pay, sloppy but not luxurious either.
Their differences are almost in aesthetic terms, although we must mention two details. First, this GT Line does not have a Harman/Kardon audio system but a traditional 6-speaker one. The second detail is that it loses the remote engine start from the key.
The other changes are that the seats have the GT Line emblems engraved on the backrests in white, and the stitching is in the same tone instead of the GT logos in red. The same happens with a plate at the bottom of the steering wheel.
The rest of the Team is precisely the same, and how good. We will have a 10.25″ touch screen compatible with CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless smartphone charger, a driving mode selector, dual-zone automatic A/C, synthetic leather seats with electric adjustment for the driver, LED interior lighting, a sunroof, computer color travel, an analog instrument panel, a sports-cut steering wheel, an electrochromic mirror, and automatic headlights, among other things.
The same level of security
In almost any segment, we are accustomed to only the most expensive model having all the driving assistance. In the exact KIA, it happens, like with the Sorento that we tested last week. Fortunately, the Forte belongs to the select segment that offers all the assistance in more than one version, the GT and GT Line being the ones that include it.
We are talking about elements such as autonomous emergency braking, lane maintenance, lane departure warning, blind spot alert, adaptive cruise control, reversing camera with cross-traffic alert, rear proximity sensor, six airbags, brakes ABS, electronic stability control, and hill climb assist. Great job, KIA.
As you can see, at the Team level, it doesn’t disappoint at all, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Although the interior looks contemporary, it also seems sober and lacks as much appeal as some rivals, such as the Mazda3, Sentra, Jetta, and Elantra.
Perhaps that, plus the fact that it does not have the enormous trunk with 433 liters, and the space in the back may be fair for someone taller than 1.85 meters, are the only “buts” I have about its cabin.
The Small Engine or rather, the naturally aspirated engine
The main difference between the 2025 KIA Forte GT and GT Line models is in the powertrain, as this GT Line uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine. It generates 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque, power that reaches the front axle through an IVT or Intelligent Variable Transmission box. That is a CVT box with a fancier name—something like your friend Jorge, who is called George.
This set is on par with the rest of its rivals, with naturally aspirated engines and figures suitable for daily life in the city and occasionally going out on the road. The engine response is good; it tends to be quiet and generally is smooth in its actions.
On the other hand, the CVT box seems to me to be one of the best programmed in the industry; at average city pace, without sinking your foot in each start, you will not notice its existence, and thanks to the 6-speed simulation, you could think that it uses a standard automatic.
Of course, when you push the accelerator pedal fully down in merges or overtakes, its CVT nature comes to the fore, with a delay in power delivery or a more gradual and passive delivery than an explosive one.
The rest of the experience is very regular; that is to say, The steering does not feel sporty, but it is not entirely dead either. The suspension prioritizes comfort, although it does show some firmness, especially in the upper part of the travel and its balance.
Bodywork is present but could be more pronounced. It is not a car that invites you to go fast, but it is one where you feel calm and know that it has enough to stay planted and be predictable to a certain extent.
One con that must be mentioned is consumption. Even with the CVT box, entering the eight km/l zone is easy when you get stuck in a traffic jam or if your foot is hefty. Without traffic and driving efficiently, you can reach up to 13 km/l without any problem.
There is a Forte for the enthusiast and a Forte for the rational.
The double top-of-the-range that I told you about at the beginning of this test is the fact of having a Forte GT with a turbo engine and fun handling for those who are a little more enthusiastic and among their priorities is having better sensations and even having fun when the road requires it. It deserves it without really being a car developed as a sports car.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 Kia Forte GT-Line has been a reliable and enjoyable vehicle for two years. Despite minor drawbacks, it meets my needs as a commuter, and I still enjoy driving it daily. With advanced safety features, a sleek design, and convenient technology, this compact car continues to serve me well, and I will take my time replacing it.