Forte Hatchback vs. i30 vs. Cruze5

2011 Kia Forte Hatchback

2012 Hyundai i30

2012 GM Korea Chevrolet Cruze5

The Forte Hatchback, new i30, and the Cruze5. What does these three have in common? They're both made in Korea and these Korean-made hatchbacks deserve a ship's passage to Cagayan, well kind of...

First off, the Kia Forte Hatchback was launched in South Korea since September 2010 as the expansion for the Kia Forte lineup. As of now, all Kia Forte models are equipped with the 1.6-L Gamma GDI I4 petrol engine that produces 140hp of power and 17.0kg-m of torque. AT versions can accumulate 15.7km/L while MT versions can accumulate 16.6km/L.

Then, the Chevrolet Cruze5 is the debutante and an additional model to the Korean-made Chevrolet Cruze. Since March 2011, the Daewoo Lacetti Premiere has been renamed to Chevrolet Cruze as part of shaking off the criticized Daewoo brand to make way for Chevrolet's South Korea launch. Unlike the Forte Hatchback, which is available only in petrol engine, the Cruze5 is available in 1.8L ECOTEC petrol and 2.0 VCDi diesel engine. Sadly, no manual transmission offered, just a 6-speed automatic transmission. First, the 1.8L ECOTEC petrol engine produces 142hp of power and 17.8kg-m of torque. It can achieve a fuel economy of 13.7km/L. That petrol engine powered the Cruze5 is proven to be more powerful than the Forte Hatchback. Here on the 2.0L VCDi engine, it produces 163hp of power, 36.7kg-m of torque, and 15.9km/L of fuel economy.

Lastly is the second-generation Hyundai i30. Launched in Korea since October 20, 2011, the second-generation Hyundai i30 is the second member of Hyundai's new Premium Youth Lab sub-brand. Like the previous model, the Hyundai i30 uses a platform lifted from the Hyundai Avante/Elantra. It follows the "Fluidic Sculpture" design philosophy and this design for the new i30 is dubbed as the "Aero Active" concept. Surprisingly though, the new i30 features Flex Steer, which allows the driver to switch through three different modes; Comfort, Normal, and Sport. I kinda like the Sport mode because it sharpens the suspension system and this makes the new i30 feel more European to handle. Although it has a GDi 1.6L engine lifted from its Forte Hatchback cousin, the new i30 also comes with a 1.6 CRDi-VGT diesel engine that produces 128hp of power and 26.5kg-m of torque. An i30 1.6 VGT with 6-speed auto can go as much as 20km/L while the i30 1.6 VGT with 6-speed manual can go as much as 23.0km/L. Unlike the Forte Hatchback, the new i30 has a BlueSaver variant which uses IDLE STOP & GO that allows its 1.6 GDi engine to shut off automatically when stopped, providing reduced emissions and 17.3km/L of fuel economy.

So the verdict is that the new i30 is more fuel efficient and more fun to drive than the Kia Forte Hatchback and the Chevrolet Cruze 5. That's not the end of it because the new i30 has an impressive looking design but that's only in the front. The Cruze5 has a better looking rear that is somewhat original. The Forte Hatchback? Well, better luck next time.