With “GT” attached to the name of Hyundai’s new Elantra hatchback released last year, there was a certain expectation of performance that wasn’t quite fulfilled. Fortunately for the 2014 model year, it gets a kick in the pants with a more powerful 173-horsepower Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine dubbed simply “Nu.”
The Kia Forte will join the popular compact sedan segment this spring that includes such vaunted competitors as the Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze and Hyundai Elantra. This newcomer, based on our afternoon of driving in the Arizona desert, will be a player.