Forte

Make
Kia
Segment
Sedan

It's not the most exciting car ever made, but the 2016 Kia Forte is proof that Kia's design and build quality is moving in the right direction. It has a sleekness about it that the Korean carmaker reinforces in naming this particular example's body color: Silky Silver. It's proportions are easy on the eye, as are the 17-inch alloys, while the 173-horspower 2.0-liter direct-injected four-cylinder is no slouch and the six-speed automatic is a smooth-shifting instrument.

So, what you are probably asking yourself at this point, does that have to do with the chart-topping pop song "Gangnam Style?" Kia is trying, and some would argue succeeding, in creating products you'd expect of a luxury carmaker. At the minimum, it has aspirations to mix with Europe's heavy hitters, as we discuss in our latest unboxing video, below.

Whether it achieved this with the Forte is up for debate. Korean singer Psy's outrageously catchy single makes fun of locals who aspire to be like the residents of Seoul's wealthy Gangnam district. See the connection? OK, the comparison is a bit of a stretch, but the unboxing video we made of the car will provide more serious insight. Special thanks to Kia Marin in Novato, California, for letting us shoot the Forte.