Kia has just unveiled the all-new 2025 Kia K4 compact sedan at the New York International Auto Show. As the successor to the popular Forte, the K4 gets bold new styling based on Kia’s “Opposites United” design philosophy as seen on the EV6 and EV9 electric vehicles. With a fastback profile and vertically stacked LED headlights accentuated by sweeping marker lights, Kia’s “Tiger Face” approach is a handsome design that adds aggression without being gaudy or derivative. There’s also a Canadian connection to the Korean automaker’s new look; Kia’s head of Global Design, Karim Habib, grew up in Montreal.
Inside, the K4 is packed with the latest that Kia has to offer. Stylistically, it's a slight departure from past models, and the no-nonsense, user-friendly setup from the Forte gets a fresh new look. It retains ergonomically superior hard buttons for core infotainment and climate control functions, a plus in today's distracting full-touch oriented interfaces.
Compared to the Forte, the K4 has grown in size. It’s now 69 mm longer, second only to the Volkswagen Jetta, and is now the widest in its class. The additional dimensions allow for 965 mm of rear legroom and 413L of trunk capacity, beating the Jetta and significantly outperforming competitors such as the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, and Honda Civic.
Powering the 2025 Kia K4 are two mainly carried-over internal combustion engines. Currently, there's no word on hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or full-battery electric variants. Entry-level trims get a 2.0 L 147-horsepower inline-four paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The uplevel GT-Line Turbo gets a 1.6L turbocharged engine that makes 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque with an eight-speed automatic. While peak horsepower is down by 11 versus the Forte, peak torque remains unchanged. If the K4 is similar to the current crop of Hyundai products that use this latest engine, peak torque should be available at lower revs than before.
Noteworthy standard or available features on the K4 include wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality and nearly 30 inches of digital instrumentation with over-the-air updateable infotainment. There’s Harman Kardon audio, a heated steering wheel, and ventilated front seats. Virtual key capability allows for smartphone-based keys, which can be shared with friends or family borrowing a K4.
For safety, most of Kia's latest driver safety assistance systems are standard equipment. Lower trims get forward collision autonomous braking, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, pedestrian and cyclist detection, and left-turn intersection collision avoidance. The GT-Line Turbo further enhances the forward collision warning system with intersection cross-traffic collision avoidance, and steering assist is added to the pedestrian and cyclist detection systems. A 360-degree surround-view camera is standard, with optional park distance sensors.
The 2025 Kia K4 will be available in Canadian showrooms in the latter half of 2024. Pricing and fuel economy ratings are not yet available.
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