2019 Kia Forte red side view in an alley

Transmission options on the 2019 Kia Forte

Is the 2019 Kia Forte available with a manual transmission?

Do you want a manual transmission in your sporty compact car? We can’t blame you. You may be wondering, is the 2019 Kia Forte available with a manual transmission? Let us tell you the good news, it is. We can also tell you about manual Forte trim levels, efficiency, and engine options.

2019 Kia Forte interior and dashWhat 2019 Kia Forte trim levels have a manual transmission?

For 2019, the Forte is available in four distinct trim levels. The lineup starts with the FE and goes up from there with the LXS, S, and the top EX. If a manual transmission is what you are looking for, then you will have to get the FE trim at least until the 2020 Forte arrives.

Read More: Differences between 2019 Forte trim levels

The manual transmission comes standard on the Forte FE. The only other transmission option on the Forte is an Intelligent Variable Transmission or IVT which comes standard on all other trim levels and is available on the FE.

2019 Kia Forte engineWhat engine is the manual transmission paired with?

The manual transmission for the 2019 Forte is paired with the same engine as all other trims. This means you get a powerful 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that employs dual continuously variable valve timing and multi-point injection to get up to 147 horsepower and an equally impressive 132 pound-feet of torque.

Read More: How to connect your phone to your Forte

How efficient is the 2019 Forte manual transmission?

Manual transmissions used to be your best transmission option. They were more affordable, often lasted longer, were more fun to drive, and provided better efficiency. Most of this is no longer true and it’s fairly common for a driver to have never driven a manual before so these transmissions become rarer every year.

In the case of the 2019 Forte, the efficiency does go down when you go with a manual transmission. In all IVT-equipped 2019 Forte models, you can get efficiency numbers as high as 31 mpg in the city, 41 mpg on the highway, and 35 mpg combined. With a manual transmission, the Forte FE gets 27-city mpg, 37-highway mpg, and 31-combined mpg.

Though you will take a hit on efficiency, you can count on the 2019 Forte FE providing a whole lot of fun with its manual transmission, and as this is a Kia, you don’t have to worry about reliability especially with your 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.


How far can the 2019 Kia Forte go on a tank of gas?