Successor to Kia Forte, new K4
elevates interior roominess
    
(March 29, 2024) NEW YORK — Kia unveiled the all-new 2025 K4 compact four-door for its global debut at the 2024 New York International Auto Show, a "powerhouse of standard, segment-above technology" delivering Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), refinement, and class-leading rear head room and leg room. An available turbocharged engine amps up the fun-to-drive quotient and standard multi-link rear suspension on the GT-Line (2.0 and 1.6 turbo) offers a responsive driving experience.



“The all-new K4 advances Kia’s commitment to deliver sporty sedans with advanced technology and elevated performance,” said Steven Center, COO and EVP, Kia America. “Succeeding in the compact segment means overdelivering on the features that customers want, and the K4 is designed to exceed expectations.”



Elevating expectations for connectivity technology and superior style in the compact four-door sedan segment, the K4 sports standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and available multi-segment display cockpit with a combined nearly 30-inches of digital instrumentation enabling camera-feed visibility of your surroundings.

Available amenities such as Digital Key 2.0 with Ultra Wideband, Harman Kardon premium audio, heated and ventilated front seats, and a wide sunroof define the K4’s premium persona. The K4 is expected to arrive in the United States in the second half of 2024 in five trim levels: LX, LXS, EX, GT-Line and GT-Line Turbo.

When it goes on sale in the United States, the front-wheel-drive K4 will offer two powertrain choices. The standard 2.0-liter engine produces 147 horsepower and 132 lb.-ft. of torque and is matched with an intelligently variable transmission (IVT).



An optional 1.6-liter, turbocharged engine sends 190 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque through an 8-speed automatic transmission. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters and sport pedals complete the sportier package. The K4 GT-Line Turbo delivers power smoothly at low speeds, responds quickly, and provides an engaging driving experience. Exclusive to the K4 GT-Line and GT-Line Turbo models is a multi-link rear suspension that adds lateral stiffness and compliance, for a sportier driving experience.


Stretched to all four corners with bold styling proportions, aligned with the tenets of Kia’s “Opposites United” design direction, the K4 makes a powerful, dynamic statement.





“By juxtaposing the K4’s fastback roofline and wide stance, we split the difference visually between the compact and midsize segments,” said Tom Kearns, chief designer, Kia Design Center America. “The creative tension that the Opposites United design language stresses allowed us to improvise on the traditional three-box form factor.”



With an overall length of 185.4 inches and width of 72.8 inches, the K4 is the widest and has the largest footprint in the compact segment. Rear passengers will enjoy the ride with a class leading 38 inches of leg room and class leading head room at 37.3 inches. Standard, vertically oriented LED headlights and taillights take inspiration from the flagship EV9 and create pronounced edges through the lighting signature in the front and rear. Hidden rear door handles in the C-pillar emphasize the K4’s fastback proportions and draw attention to its swept-back daylight opening. A versatile, conventional trunk affords 14.6 cubic feet of cargo capacity.




The interior of the K4 raises the level of discourse for the entire class. The centerpiece of the wide, expansive cockpit is the standard, integrated digital instrumentation: a first for the compact sedan segment and a design element in its own right. The ultramodern Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) operating system with OTA capability, which first debuted in the flagship EV9, projects across a combined nearly 30 inches of a digital display command center.


The airy K4 interior is available in either Medium Gray (LX/LXS/EX) or Slate Green (EX), and the GT-Line models add Onyx and Off-White. Heated front seats are standard on K4 GT-Line and above, and ventilated seats as well as driver’s seat memory function are optional. A three-spoke steering wheel is unique to K4 GT-Line models.