2013 Kia Forte

small car / 4-door sedan

2013 Kia Forte 4-door sedan
2010 Kia Forte shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Front crash prevention
Not available

Other available safety features

  • Optional daytime running lights

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2010-13 models

Tested vehicle: 2010 Kia Forte EX 4-door

The Kia Forte was introduced in the 2010 model year as a replacement for the Kia Spectra.

Two tests of a 2010 Kia Forte were conducted. In the first test, forces recorded on the dummy's head and neck were high, leading to a Marginal head/neck injury rating and a Marginal overall rating. In response, Kia modified the airbag control computer to deploy the side curtain airbag, in addition to the frontal airbag, in certain frontal crashes beginning with cars manufactured after January 2010. Kia initiated a service campaign to reprogram the airbag control computer on all 2010 models produced before the change was made on the production line.

In the second test of a car built after the modifications were in place, the driver side curtain airbag deployed during the crash, and forces on the neck were low. However, forces on the head were still elevated.

The evaluation of the Forte is based on the second test, except for the structural rating, which is based both tests.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the second of two frontal offset crash tests.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well (second test shown).

In both tests, forces on the head were high when the dummy's head hit the steering wheel through the frontal airbag (second test shown).

Intrusion into the driver's space was minimal, and all leg and foot injury measures were low (second test shown).

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0912 CEF1002
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 6 7
Left (cm) 9 9
Center (cm) 7 8
Right (cm) 5 7
Brake pedal (cm) 10 9
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 2 1
Right (cm) 3 1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 1 3
Rearward (cm) -4 -4
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 1 1

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF1002
Head
HIC-15 670
Peak gs at hard contact 114
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.0
Extension bending moment (Nm) 13
Maximum Nij 0.71
Chest maximum compression (mm) 29
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.8
Femur force - right (kN) 3.1
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 6
Maximum tibia index - left 0.41
Maximum tibia index - right 0.65
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.4
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.8
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 61
Right 50

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2011-13 models

Tested vehicle: 2010 Kia Forte EX 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Kia Forte was introduced in the 2010 model year as a replacement for the Kia Spectra. Beginning with 2011 models, Kia made design changes to the side curtain airbags and side structure to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Kia as part of side crash test verification. The car tested was a 2010 model that incorporated all the design changes included in the 2011 models.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTS1006
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -9.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTS1006
Head HIC-15 254
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.0
Compression (kN) 0.6
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 25
Lateral force (kN) 1.2
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 37
Average deflection (mm) 29
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 2.87
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.45
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 2.3
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.5
Combined force (kN) 4.7
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 1.2
L-M moment (Nm) 193
A-P moment (Nm) 69

Passenger injury measures

Test ID VTS1006
Head HIC-15 304
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.5
Compression (kN) 1.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 41
Lateral force (kN) 1.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 37
Average deflection (mm) 31
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.53
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.59
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.5
Acetabulum force (kN) 0.2
Combined force (kN) 0.9
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 2.7
L-M moment (Nm) 284
A-P moment (Nm) 80

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2010-13 models built after October 2009

Tested vehicle: 2010 Kia Forte SX 4-door

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 2,859 lbs
Peak force 13,084 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 4.58

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seats AHR

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual cloth seats AHR
Geometry
Backset (mm) 30
Distance below top of head (mm) 3
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 10.7
Head contact time (ms) 55
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 19
Max neck tension (N) 231

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.