Spec-sheet brawl: Kia Forte vs. Honda Civic

The local compact-sedan scene has remained relatively unchanged over the past few years. When you bring up the segment, the first nameplates to come to mind are the usual industry staples: Honda Civic, Toyota Altis, Mazda 3. Anything past them is a distant second.

But could all this change with the arrival—or rather, the return—of the all-new Kia Forte?

Yes, folks, the Forte is back. A revamped Kia Philippines has decided to bring the vehicle back to the Philippine market in hopes of taking away a piece of the segment pie from the aforementioned models. But does it stand a chance?

Let’s pit the Forte’s mid-level offering, the 1.6 EX AT, against its closest Honda rival in terms of price, the Civic 1.8 E CVT.

Power-wise, the Civic’s 1.8-liter SOHC gasoline engine (139hp and 174Nm) easily trumps the Forte’s 1.6-liter DOHC (126hp and 155Nm). The Kia’s upside is that it has a slightly more polished interior featuring more leather bits and a larger touchscreen infotainment system. It also runs on larger 17-inch alloy wheels compared with the Civic’s 16-inchers.

The Forte also rides slightly higher with a 150mm ground clearance versus the Civic’s 133mm, though both share the same wheelbase length at 2,700mm. And then, of course, there’s the price difference: The Kia is a bit more expensive at P1,195,000 versus the Civic’s P1,168,000 price tag.

Anyway, take a look at the specs we’ve gathered for you below and let us know via the poll which compact sedan you would choose:

	Honda Civic 1.8 E CVT	Kia Forte 1.6 EX AT
Price (Philippine Peso)	1,168,000	1,195,000
Drive	FWD	FWD
Seating capacity	5	5
Engine	1.8-liter SOHC gasoline	1.6-liter DOHC gasoline
Power	139hp @ 6,500rpm	126hp @ 6,300rpm
Torque	174Nm @ 4,300rpm	155Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel tank capacity (liters)	47	50
Transmission	CVT	6-speed automatic
Paddle shifters	N/A	N/A
Brakes (front/rear)	Ventilated disc/solid disc	Disc/disc
Front suspension	MacPherson strut with stabilizer	MacPherson strut with stabilizer
Rear suspension	Independent multilink	Coupled torsion-beam axle
Wheels	16-inch alloys	17-inch alloys
Tires	215/55 R16	225/45 R17
Seats	Fabric	Fabric
Steering wheel	Urethane with tilt and telescopic adjustment	Leather with tilt and telescopic adjustment
Ignition	Push-start	Key
Audio system	7-inch touchscreen, six speakers	8-inch touchscreen, six speakers
Climate control	Automatic	Automatic
Backup camera	Yes	Yes
Airbags	Driver and passenger	Driver and passenger
Dimensions (mm)	4,633 x 1,799 x 1,416	4,640 x 1,800 x 1,450
Ground clearance (mm)	133	150
Wheelbase (mm)	2,700	2,700