Ace of Base: 2019 Kia Niro FE

The South Korean automaker has no qualms about upending the status quo – witness the Stinger GT. Kia’s Niro hybrid might not look radical, but it’s a fuel-efficient dart hurled directly at the almighty Toyota Prius. Not everyone wants to loudly advertise their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, after all.

Fe might stand for iron on the periodic table, but can this FE iron out some traditional hybrid wrinkles? Let’s find out.

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Ace of Base: 2019 Kia Forte FE

Yes, yes, yes. This marks the second week in a row for the same manufacturer, almost as long a stretch as Khabib Nurmagomedov has gone without scaling the wall of a UFC cage.

The little Forte sedan (remember those? Ford doesn’t) ups its game in 2019 with a refreshed sense of style and a bucket full of new equipment. This is most definitely our first Ace of Base that includes dual-zone climate control as standard equipment.

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  • Scott I'm afraid of Clickbait, as it's so annoying..(And don't ask me about autonomous car clickbait)
  • ToolGuy Nice writeup. Good photography.
  • Detlump I almost bought a dark red one of these when I was cross-shopping Volvo wagons. I didn't like the frameless glass of the doors but it was a close call. I wanted a wagon for my hockey gear and also carrying parts as I was an engineer at the time. SUVs weren't a thing at that point and I wanted an enclosed, secure cargo area.I ended up going with a 95 850 wagon and it has served me well. The only time it left me stranded (temporarily) was when the coil wire popped off. I also got a flat tire, but I can't blame the Volvo for that. BTW, I still have the 950 with 263,000 miles - just changed the timing belt too - I have that process down to about an hour by now!
  • Wjtinfwb 18 year old Euro with admitted "issues". RUN from this money pit. My experience with European cars is time is more of an enemy than Mileage. I'd rather a 5 year old BMW with 120k miles than a 15 year old one with 50k. Electronics, wiring, plastics, exterior trim etc. just crumble with time, particularly if the car has lived in a harsh climate outside. I have folders of receipts from BMW, VW and Audi shops if you'd like to see the evidence of my thesis.
  • Wjtinfwb We too have a Subaru, a '16 Crosstrek. Aside from it's appetite for batteries (or crappy Subaru batteries), so far it's been a reliable ride, but from day one I've always thought it felt flimsy. I'm sure we'll get good service out of it and have no plans to replace it, but won't be surprised if it starts nickel and diming up as all those plastics and the electronics start to age.