Kia Forte earns Top Safety Pick award

The 2010 Kia Forte has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) Top Safety Pick designation for receiving the highest scores of Good for front, side, rollover, and rear impact protection, and providing standard electronic stability control. The Institute's top award only applies to Forte's built after October 2009 when Kia made some changes to the B-pillar and roof structure to improve occupant protection.

The Forte replaces the Kia Spectra small car, which only received an Acceptable score for front crash protection and Marginal for side impact. The Spectra didn't have available stability control, either.

In our tests, the Forte is a big improvement over the Spectra, but it still ranks below the best in the small car class. It is relatively roomy with simple controls and good rear seat space. However, the ride is stiff, engine noisy, and driving position is awkward without a telescoping steering wheel.

See our video above for more details on our test of the Forte.