The Forte’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Accent doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Forte (except FE)’s optional rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Accent doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.
The Forte’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Accent doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the Forte and the Accent have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Forte is safer than the Hyundai Accent:
|
Forte |
Accent |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
153 |
194 |
Chest Movement |
1.1 inches |
1.3 inches |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
286 |
527 |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
12 inches |
12 inches |
Hip Force |
750 lbs. |
880 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Forte the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 136 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Accent last would have qualified as a “Top Pick” in 2019.