It shares the same platform as the Hyundai Avante/Elantra (HD), though employing a torsion-beam rear suspension in place of the Elantra's multilink design.

At the same time, the design of the rear suspension was simplified, which instead of independent multilink thrust became semi-dependent double-lever, with an elastic beam, which made it more reliable and easy to repair and maintain.

[16][17] Taking its underpinnings from the Hyundai Elantra LPI Hybrid, the car is powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

An iPod-compatible USB input jack and an auxiliary port for an external music device and steering wheel mounted audio controls are also integrated with the sound system.

[21] The second-tier EX adds air conditioning, power windows and door locks, cruise control, a six-speaker radio, a key fob with keyless entry, and turn signal indicators on the side mirrors.

When combined with the EX trim, leather is utilized for the upholstery, steering wheel and shift lever; heated front seats and a sunroof are also included with the package.

When paired with the SX trim, it includes only heated leather seats and the sunroof, as a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift lever are already fitted as standard.

Despite the LPI Hybrid being launched at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Forte is still not offered in European countries outside Russia and Ukraine.

The Kia Forte Furuidi is powered by a lone 1.6 L G4FG straight-four petrol engine option developing 123 hp (90.2 kW) and 150.7Nm.

[32] The car was presented to the public for the first time outside of South Korea on Santiago Motorshow (Chile) as Kia Cerato, on 3 October 2012.

The base Forte Koup EX comes with standard 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth®, SiriusXM™ Satellite Radio, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated audio and cruise control buttons, tilt and telescoping steering column, FlexSteer, power windows and LED positioning headlights with fog lights.

[36] The Koup SX comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, UVO eServices with Rear Camera Display, dual chrome exhaust tips, and LED tail lights.

The sportier SX also features performance enhancements including larger bumper and grille openings, larger front brakes, alloy sport pedals, black gloss grille inserts, and the front fascia and rear valance also include carbon fibre-look trim.

In the United States, the second-generation Kia Forte was available in four basic trim levels: LX, S, EX, EX premium, and SX (later SX Turbo): The LX was the base model of the Forte, and offered a plethora of standard equipment: an AM/FM stereo with single-disc CD/MP3 player, Bluetooth, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and USB and auxiliary audio inputs with a four-speaker audio system, power windows and door locks, keyless entry with flip-key, exterior colour-keyed door handles and side mirrors, fifteen-inch steel wheels with full wheel covers, a multifunction steering wheel, power rear trunk lid release, a split-folding rear bench seat, cloth seating surfaces, dual manually-adjustable front bucket seats, a 2.0L inline four-cylinder (I4) petrol engine, a six-speed manual transmission, and air conditioning.

The S became available in 2017, and added convenience features to the base LX trim level, such as: sixteen-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, a six-speed automatic transmission, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a six-speaker audio system, and a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel.

The EX was the top-of-the-line Forte trim level, adding features to the base LX, such as: sixteen-inch aluminum-alloy wheels (seventeen-inch on 2016+ models), front fog lamps, power-folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (2016+ models only), a six-speaker audio system, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel, and perforated luxury leather-trimmed seating surfaces with dual heated front bucket seats (2016+ models only).

For the Singaporean market, the car is known as the Forte K3 and is available in EX (16-inch steel wheels, dual airbags, rear air conditioner, LED daylight running lights, leather interior and rear parking sensor) and SX (17-inch alloy wheels, two airbags, front-and-rear parking sensors, keyless entry, push-button start, leather interior, power driver seat with memory)[39] trims, with LED daylight running lights and rear aircon vents standard.

[45] In a small overlap frontal crash test carried out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia Forte scored the lowest in the group in 2013.

Taking styling cues from the Kia Stinger, the new Forte adopts a cab rearward exterior, resulting in a fastback profile and a short trunklid.

[50][51][52] The third-generation Kia Forte hatchback was later unveiled in late 2018 in South Korea,[53] and is only available in selected markets such as Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Chile, Cameroon, Seychelles, Brunei, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Fiji.

[54] All trim levels of the new Forte includes many features that are otherwise optional on its competitors, including automatic front headlights, a tilt and telescopic steering column, a rear trunk light, rear seat heat ducts, an eight-inch, touchscreen infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, steering wheel-mounted audio system controls, cruise control, Forward Collision Avoidance (FCA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), and Lane Keeping Assist (LKA).

[55] In addition to its standard equipment, other notable available features on the all-new Forte include LED interior lighting, a ten-way, power-adjustable front driver's seat with lumbar support, heated and ventilated dual front bucket seats, soft-touch interior surfaces, a 320-watt, eight-speaker premium amplified audio system by Harman Kardon, wireless device charging, drive mode selection, and a smart cruise control (SCC).

The Forte sedan went on sale in 2018 for the 2019 model year and was initially available in five trim levels: LX, EX, EX-Plus, EX-Premium, and EX-Limited.

The second-generation Forte5 hatchback remained on sale until 2020, when they introduced the newly redesigned Forte5 for the Canadian market as an exclusive option and made it available in three trim levels: EX, GT, and GT-Limited.

In late 2018, the range was bolstered with the addition of the hatchback body style and GT trim level which features a 1.6L turbo petrol engine, it produces 150 kilowatts and 265 newton meters of torque.

Regarding the North American market, on 11 June 2021, the facelifted Forte first arrived in Mexico, built at the Pesquería plant in Nuevo León.