New Details On the 4-Door Scene: A Closer Look at the 2024 Kia Sedan Lineup

2023 ended on an exhilarating note, with the promise of new models to come to the lot here at Jim Butler Kia of St. Louis! This past year, Kia recorded its highest-ever sales, with a 13% increase over 2022. Captivating exterior designs, interiors with all the latest features, and world-class warranty coverage have won over fans such as the writers at TopSpeed.com. 

Today, we are going to offer a closer look at the 2024 Kia Sedan Lineup: crossovers have long been king, but these models provide a more driver-focused connection to the ever-inviting road.

The 2024 Kia Forte comes ready for daily drive duty in LX, LXS, GT-Line, and GT trims. As you ascend the trim levels, it becomes sportier and more aggressive. Drivers have lately demanded larger screens, as enjoying the best in tech features on the go has become essential. The Forte’s base LS trim now features an 8-inch infotainment screen as standard, along with the LXS variant. The GT-Line and GT both have the larger 10.3-inch display with Sirius XM and in-dash navigation. 

Hardcore purists will appreciate the opportunity to score a manual transmission, along with the GT-Line’s turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four cylinder that cranks out 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. The interior is so well-designed that it rivals much pricier competition, and it’s a sedan that the Edmunds.com review crew praised for being “grown-up yet small, and a fantastic value for the money.”

The 2024 Kia K5 is known for bold and boisterous styling, along with a roofline that screams “fast enough and sleek enough” for rightfully power-hungry times. The K5 comes to the table with a very well-organized interior and is a prideful benchmark of where the good stuff starts regarding upscale materials. Refined wood trim and ambient interior lighting are a few extras that have done so remarkably well at helping Kia stand out from other dreadfully ordinary options.

The top-of-the-line GT variant features a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine that puts out 290 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. It is highly recommended for anyone looking to escape the confines of cars that don’t strive to be special. Stake your claim on the streets with bigger brakes, XL 19-inch rims with wide tires, and an automatic 8-speed transmission. Car and Driver deemed the K5 “One handsome devil, and full of unnecessary fun”, while also praising it for sophisticated and straightforward looks. 

The 2023 Kia Stinger was unquestionably the most powerful sedan in the Kia lineup, with last year’s model seeing its final run. Graced with meaningful dark chrome and dual twin-exit exhausts, the Stinger existed as a symbol of everything fantastic that could be injected into a modern vehicle. A 9-speaker audio system comes as standard, with the option of upgrading to the placidly clear and exorbitant 15-speaker Harmon/Kardon audio system. 

The Stinger’s full and g-force-inducing potential Is unleashed courtesy of the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6, which cranks out 368 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque. Here a haven of sorts for performance enthusiasts was born, along with very firm competition to revolt against the Audi A5 and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. Going out with a well-seasoned bang was made possible with the Apex Special Edition, which adds upgraded Brembo brakes, black fender trim, black mirror housing, and carbon-fiber-look interior trim. 

If you’re looking for a sedan, we can help! Head to Jim Butler Kia and we’ll help you upgrade to your perfect new Kia.

Five Kia Models Secure Spot on Cars.com 2023 Best Value New Cars Report

Five Kia models were named to this year’s Cars.com 2023 Best Value New Cars Report, further solidifying the brand’s leadership position to provide top-caliber vehicles at an astonishingly attractive price. The 2023 Rio S, 2023 Forte LXS, 2023 Seltos S, 2023 Niro Plug-in Hybrid EX, and 2023 Sportage Plug-in Hybrid X-Line all made the report, which assists car shoppers with their next purchase. 

The 2023 Best Value New Cars Report sets itself aside from others by clearly identifying the most affordable new-car models in four respective categories: PHEVS, small pickup trucks, cars, small SUVs, and EVs. 

The 2023 Rio S was selected as this industry leader for its reasonable pricing, excellent warranty, and class-leading gas mileage. It comes available as a subcompact sedan or hatchback and is perfect for handling the day’s demands without much effort or high cost. Some of the most attractive extras included in the Technology Package are 15-inch alloy wheels, rear disc brakes, automatic emergency braking, LED headlights, automatic high beams, push-button start, and satellite radio.

The 2023 Forte LXS is a small sedan that is all grown up, and provides top-class value and segment-leading amount of utility. Drivers are loving its comfortable quiet interior and amazing driving dynamics. It has an abundance of features with a lower starting price than existing competition, and a very simple-to-navigate infotainment system. The GT Trim now gets adaptive cruise control, and the Forte consistently feels adequately punchy and very well-polished. 

The 2023 Seltos S has families and busy individuals satisfied with its impressive interior and cargo-handling superpowers for the size. The cabin has an upscale look and feel, and buyers are loving its practical yet premium appearance. Last year saw the debut of the Nightfall Edition, adding lane keep assist, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, and more. The dashboard has a suave and futuristic appearance, and you can opt for an 8 or 10.2-inch touchscreen. 

The Niro Plug-in Hybrid EX makes the most of current advances in batteries, electric motor, and fuel efficiency to offer up a comfortable and cost-effective daily driver. It’s a perfect choice for buyers looking to add a bit of electric mobility to their regiment without the solid long-term commitment of a fully-electric model. For 2023 there is completely revised styling inside and out, and it now firmly identifies as a small SUV instead of a hatchback. The sloping dash and door panels draw positive visual attention to the streamlined and forward-thinking design.

The 2023 Sportage Plug-in X-Line snagged the “Best Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle of 2023” from the KBB.Com experts and has turned heads with its style, efficiency, and functional practicality. This new PHEV has an all-electric range of 34 miles, allowing you to use just electric power and switch over to gasoline for the longer hauls. The 6-speed automatic transmission has selectable drive modes, as well as the resourceful and ingenious Downhill Brake Control. If you opt for the PHEV AWD trim level, you'll score the twin screen setup and attractive high-end leather seating surfaces.

2022 Kia Forte Arrives With 41 MPH Highway Rating and Spectacular GT Line

The 2022 Kia Forte compact sedan is arriving with a dynamic GT-Line that infuses a perfect amount of sporty personality to an already striking model. The GT-Line adds 17-inch wheels, athletic exterior styling, a performance-style steering wheel, and sports seats with a synthetic leather finish. 

The GT offers legendary and exhilarating performance with a 201-horsepower turbo 4-cylinder engine and is one of the last models with an available manual transmission. The Forte confidently announces its arrival with an updated tiger-nose grille, and a larger 4.2-inch TFT LCD cluster that comes standard on all trims. There is also now an available rear USB charger to keep everyone in the back fully charged and digitally occupied, and a grand total of 111.3 cubic feet for cargo and passenger volume.

The revised front and rear bumpers, stylish new trunk lid spoiler, and new 10.25-inch widescreen navigation display are sure to make the 2022 Forte a hit. There’s also a new electronic parking brake with auto hold, a major plus for anyone with a steep driveway or street parking!

When it comes to safety features, Kia has always been at the front of the pack. The Drive Wise assistance suite adds six standard features, with navigation-based adaptive cruise control, forward collision avoidance, lane following assist, and safety exit warning. Available Highway Driving Assist takes into account the highway speed limit, and will automatically adjust speed to allow for an optimal and safe distance from the vehicle in front. The Available Safe Exit Warning feature uses amazing high-tech assistance to alert the passengers or driver if any potential hazards are approaching from behind after you reach your destination and are getting out of the car.

Kia Telluride and Forte Lead the Pack With All-Time Sales Record During Q3 of 2021

This year, both the Forte and Telluride were at the front of the pack with third quarter sales that set a record. This sales success was the highest-ever retail performance for the first nine months of any year, realizing a 9% increase over the previous record from five years ago. 

During September, Kia successfully sold 77 percent of all available inventory, with a substantial increase in sales of hybrid and battery-electric powered vehicles. This record-setting performance during Q3 has been a positive indicator that this upward trend will continue well into the coming year and paved the way for heightened interest in the EV6.

The 2021 Kia Forte is well-known for its great styling, long list of features, and fun drive. Outpacing the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, and Toyota Corolla, the Forte delivers stellar fuel economy, unique style, and deliciously sporty GT Model.

The 2021 Kia Telluride is Kia’s largest SUV and can seat up to eight. Edmunds.com said the Telluride does “everything leaps and bounds better than the rest.” With a smooth ride and an abundance of technology and safety features, you'll be enjoying Kia’s first-class warranty protection. 

The pair effortlessly combines good looks with stellar road performance, and each has enough power to assure you are getting the most out of your ride! The Telluride’s cabin offers luxury-car-quiet even while moving at highway speeds, and displays a breed of strength that can work its way up the canyon or hillside with ease. 

2020 Kia Forte Deemed By Kelley Blue Book as a “Feature-Filled Value for the Money”

It was during 2009 that Kia introduced the compact Forte to the U.S. Market, and since then it has been our third-most-popular vehicle, falling behind only the Kia Soul and Kia Optima. The experts on staff at Kelley Blue Book are always great at depicting what features and form a new car model possesses without being too personal or opinionated, and they still claimed right away that it is “an extreme value for the money when compared to the Honda Civic Si, Mazda 3, and Subaru Impreza”.

The 2020 model year brings a few trim changes for the Kia Forte, plus the addition of a new turbocharged 1.6-liter engine that is only available on the GT. Last year was when the larger overhaul took place, yet the EX Special Edition trim now sees the 2-tone interior, upgraded Harman Kardon sound system, voice command navigation, power sunroof, and wireless charging. The GT-Line and GT with the new turbocharged engine are the two sport lines added to the lineup: the GT receives the same engine as the base FE 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder that cranks out 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque with upgraded trim bits on the interior and exterior.

The 2020 Kia Forte GT-Line boasts 17-inch alloy wheels, gloss black accents, LED daytime running lights and taillights, blind-spot warning with lane changing assistant and rear cross-traffic collision warning. Fans of manual transmissions won't be disappointed: the 2002 model can be equipped with the manual 6-speed as standard in the base FE and as optional in the top-of-the-line GT. All other Fortes come standard with the same continuously variable transmission that carries over from the 2019 year.

Don't forget to ask us here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis about the benefits of the available GT2 package: it adds 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, heated and cooled leather-like front seats, blind-spot warning, forward collision warning, parking sensors, wireless charging, and optional Michelin Pilot Sport summer tires. Now standard across the entire Forte line is the Drive Wise safety suite: this equips you with forward collision avoidance and warning, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and driver attention warning.

Once you move up the line to the GT, you can equip yourself with lane changing assist, blind-spot warning, rear-cross traffic warning, smart cruise control, and parking sensors. The 2020 Forte will also come with our heralded 10-year / 100,000-mile warranty, one we deem the absolute best to protect your automotive investment in the business!

Autoblog.com Claims Kia Forte5 Hatchback Sedan May Be Headed Back for U.S. Market

As we look at the future of the Kia lineup, all of us on staff here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis realize how exciting it is to see visions materialize that were once just a faraway idea or blip on the radar. Last week the folks on stuff at Autoblog.com reported on some very juicy findings from Carbuzz: they had discovered an executive order submitted by Kia to the California Air Resources Board that appears to effectively leave a placeholder for a new Forte5.

The previous model was, in essence, the hatchback version of the Forte sedan and was sold in the U.S. until the end of last year. The version sporting the tailgate didn't make the jump to the new-generation Forte sedan that went on sale during the latter part of 2018. After seeing this in the “top secret” report, the question remains as to whether we can really expect a new Forte5 to come our way, or if Kia's U.S. Division is simply in preparation for its possible existence. The CARB filing actually does list four 2020 model-year trim levels: a Forte sedan minus smart cruise control that can be had with Kia's 7-speed dual-clutch transmission or a 6-speed manual, a Forte sedan with SCC that comes with the DCT, a Forte5 with the DCT, and a Forte5 with the SCC and DCT.

All four of these cars will receive a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder, and at this time the only engine of that type within Kia's ranks is a turbocharged GDI unit sporting 201 horsepower, and 195 lb-ft of torque, currently situated in the Soul GT. The Detroit Auto Show was the scene of the Forte sedan's last launching, where the Forte product manager claimed during an interview with Motor Trend that “We're not done with Forte... we have more exciting products that are coming that I can't yet speak of”.

It is already widely-known that there is a production version of the Forte GT now on the way with the 1.6-liter, so that effectively takes care of two of the vehicles situated on the list. At the time the interview took place, Motor Trend definitely wondered if the Kia exec was hinting at a return of the Forte5 hatchback, or in conjunction with the Proceed concept unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. Simply one of the most amazing looking wagons to ever exit the gate, it appears even sharper at some angles than the track-tuned and salacious Stinger GT. We know that the Forte GT sedan is supposed to come with nicer and sportier bits like LED headlights and 18-inch wheels in Michelin Super Sport Tires, and if there is indeed a revamped Forte5 hatch soon to be on the way, all of our blog readers right here will be the first to get the scoop!

2019 Forte Crowned “Best Small Car” Honors by Motorweek

Compact cars are sought after by those who are looking for excellent value, easy daily drive factor, and longstanding reliability. One element that we have really tried to stay focused on during the auto development process value: over the last decade, we have seen consumers say that the entry-level pricing point is most important to them, and that the available features in tech with low trim levels make all the difference in the world. This week we had an added dose of reassurance and bragging rights: the 2019 Forte has snagged up the honors from the MotorWeek Driver's Choice Award for “Best Small Car.”

With the Forte, we completed the task of taking an already excellent small car approach, and then added more space, technology, and styling to pull off the end result. This is a great looking and highly affordable car, that we just happen to fully believe is the most fun daily driver in its size class. The editors of MotorWeek conduct more than 150 car and truck reviews every year, evaluating vehicles regarding their features, pricing, performance, accommodations, fuel economy, reliability, and resale. The Forte was all-new for 2019, and it was built with the goal of it becoming the best in its class. The efforts of the entire team really stand out when a body of respected experts like this dole out the very top rating.

The Drivers' Choice Award winners are showcased on Motorweek.org, and will appear on a special episode scheduled to be aired on public television stations beginning February 9, and on cable's Motor Trend Network starting February 19. Edmunds.com is another online source that many turn to frequently for goods and information regarding the driving experience of new models, and when it came to the Forte, they had plenty good to say. Plenty of features for the money, strong fuel economy estimates, and our generous Kia warranty coverage were at the top of the list for what they enjoyed while taking a close-up look. 

You'll love the way in which the long hood and fastback-style sloping roofline is a bit reminiscent of what you see on the souped-up and aggressive Stinger sedan. The base trim level includes dual-zone air conditioning, an 8-inch touchscreen tech interface, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and top-notch safety aids like automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist. You'll want to be sure to investigate the EX trim: this is where you get premium touches on the Forte such as faux leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, and a hands-free trunk.

The EX Launch Edition package adds 17-inch wheels, a sunroof, a rear decklid spoiler, LED headlights, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a larger gauge cluster display, and an amazing 8-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with HD radio. The Edmunds staff claimed that after a test drive, the seats are “soft and cushioned in all the right places with strong lateral support,” and the climate controls pleasantly mirror the pricier Stinger's design. We are excited to receive another award for excellence scooped up by the Forte, and look forward to a year full of surprises, achievements, and fulfilling the dreams of many customers on the search for their perfect new ride!

2012s are Arriving daily at Jim Butler KIA & We have the No Fine Print Deals!

Jim Butler KIA would like to give a special thanks to all of the customers that made us the #1 KIA Store in St. Louis last month. We really appreciate your business and invite you to refer your friends to us this month. Jim Butler KIA has 2012 KIAs arriving on a daily basis with great lease deals like a 2012 KIA Sportage for just $229/mo. 

Visit JimButlerKia.com today