Kia K4 review

It’s the all-new Kia K4, a stylish four-door sedan with an enticing starting price and a couple of inline-four engines to choose from. Yes, we’re still getting new sedans at normal people prices.

Segment’s still alive, huh?

Much to our delight, yes. It may seem surprising, given the dominance the SUV has across the board, but compact sedans are still kicking around, despite the ubiquity of utility vehicles. Indeed, they seem to be responding to the market forces affecting them by adding a bit more flourish just to stand out.

What makes the K4 even more special is that it’s something new and not a refreshed carry-over, more in line with the current Kia portfolio and not simply an extension of the Forte that it effectively replaces.

Sounds neat. Say more.

Gladly. The K4 is a slick four-door compact sporting the current “opposites united” design language that all Kias feature. If you’re wondering what that means, it has something to do with the blend of technology and nature, humans and machines, or something to that effect. The full explanation is a bit beyond our numbskull comprehension, but even without the art degree, we can tell the K4 is quite a looker.

Powering the K4 is either a 2.0-liter inline-four engine that musters up about 147hp and 132lb ft or a turbocharged 1.6-liter I4 that whips up 190hp and 195lb ft of torque. The former sends power to the front wheels by way of a variable transmission while the latter, found in GT-Line versions of the K4, is joined to a conventional eight-speed automatic.

While all models of the K4 are front-wheel drive, the GT-Line iterations swap the rear torsion beam for a multi-link setup in order to make the most of the increased output.

Is it sporty, then?

It does okay. With the GT-Line version in particular, the Kia’s got enough agility to keep drivers amused while they run errands, though it won’t cut the mustard for anything more engaging than that. It can certainly hold its own against rivals like the latest Toyota Camry or Hyundai Elantra, with which it shares a platform, though it’s not kitted out like the properly-playful Elantra N.

How is it inside?

Probably the best way to describe it is streamlined. The K4’s interior isn’t exactly minimalist, it’s got the requisite amount of buttons and switches for its base functions, along with a near-30-inch screen housing the driver display and infotainment functions. Functional, but not ‘busy’ per se.

The stylish steering wheel is what draws the eye the most while the seats feel like the slim new airline seats that are attempting to be smaller while still relatively comfortable. Perhaps that doesn’t sound particularly thrilling - and it’s not - but it is modern looking and comfortable. The back row offers up a good 38 inches of legroom, with about as much headroom, despite the fastback-style roof, while the trunk has 14.6 cu ft of space available.

The Kia K4 is a modern, stylish sedan with a bottom line that’s just as attractive. In an era where sedans are a threatened species of sorts, it stands out as a particularly fresh, almost exciting find. Though quite a bit down the road from luxury, the K4 has the looks and enough comfort to keep most commuters satisfied. In terms of powertrain, the base 2.0-liter engine is about as elementary as they come, with the turbo option adding some much-needed verve to elevate it out of the baseline doldrums.

What becomes clear after time with the Kia K4 is that the on-paper description doesn’t do it justice. What sounds like a middle-of-the road car is actually more vibrant and pleasant to be around than other cars at the sub-30k price point which overwhelm with mediocrity. Yes, Volkswagen does still make the Jetta, why do you ask?

It’s one thing to see a segment stalwart like the Honda Civic come in with a revitalized model, but it’s a whole other to see a new player come into the mix, particularly this strong.