2018 Kia Forte Interior and Cargo

The base LX trim can be upholstered in either Black or Gray Premium or Woven Cloth, the S trim can be optioned with only Black Sport Cloth, and the EX trim in either Black or Gray Leather. The S and EX are standard-fit with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and have the option to leather-wrap the gearshift knob. As a budget-friendly car, there are plenty of hard-touch plastics used to guard key touchpoints throughout the cabin. The S and EX models are outfitted with a soft-touch dash and front upper door panels as well as a chrome parking brake button as standard.

In all Forte models is 14.9 cubic feet of available trunk space, which is about enough room for two to three school bags, and a laptop bag. The rear seats are 60/40 split-folding which expand space to accommodate larger cargo items if need-be. That capacity is impressive considering the Forte's compact dimensions and is about on par with what core class rivals have to offer.

All door side pockets have bottle holder slots, and there are dual cupholders between the front seats along with a tiny storage console, a covered cubby, and a deep center storage console with a storage tray. Upfront is also an overhead sunglasses cubby and a moderately sized glove box. There are dual cupholders in the center seat backrest and a passenger-side seatback map pocket.

Along with the S, the base LX trim features standard air conditioning, a folding key, and power windows with driver's one-touch auto-down function. All three models receive rear-seat heater ducts, remote keyless entry with trunk opener, power door locks with a two-turn entry system as well as a tire mobility kit. As standard, the EX additionally receives a SmartKey, push-button start function, and a smart trunk, along with dual-zone automatic temperature control, power windows with driver and front passenger's one-touch auto-up/down function. It also receives an immobilizer and the option of an auto-dimming rear-view mirror. The EX also comes standard with blind-spot detection, lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alert. The front seats in all models are manually adjustable in six ways, while the EX model's front seats receive heating as standard and can be upgraded with ten-way power-adjustability.

The base LX model comes standard with an AM/FM/CD/MP3/SiriusXM-enabled four-speaker audio system. The S and EX are equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen and six-speaker sound system along with the UVO3 eServices app suite featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration. Standard in the S and EX, this system is optional for the base model. All models feature SiriusXM satellite radio, USB and auxiliary input jacks, a 12V power outlet, and Bluetooth wireless technology. The system audio can also be operated via steering wheel-mounted controls. The EX also has access to the optional Navigation with HD Radio technology.