New Look Compact Sedan
The 2025 Kia K4 has changed the Forte, which had a superb 14-year run as Kia’s smallest sedan. The K4 is wider, longer and decrease than the Forte and, as Kia instructed us, “it has the widest and largest footprint within the compact sedan section.”
Discussing the significance of a compact sedan to Kia, Russell Wager, VP advertising and marketing for Kia America, mentioned “This section is likely one of the highest quantity for Kia, and it’s a option to get folks into the model and transfer them up. It is extremely essential because it introduces those that have by no means been in a Kia earlier than and see they’ll get all this know-how, security options, nice design and efficiency for an affordable worth.”
Clear Fleet Report was invited to Austin, Texas, to drive the K4 via rolling hills, on freeways and in metropolis site visitors. The route was chosen to showcase the driving, consolation and efficiency of the 2 trims of GT-Line and GT-Line Turbo.
This Flash Drive is an outline of the K4, with a full Street Check assessment coming in 2025.
Efficiency
The 2025 Kia K4 GT-Line trims are supplied with these engines and transmissions (that are the 2 supplied all through the K4 lineup, carryovers from the Forte with some adjustments).
GT-Line
2.0-liter 4-cylinder
147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque
Intelligently Variable Transmission or IVT with paddle shifters
Drive Modes: Regular and Sport
Gas Financial system: 29 mpg metropolis/39 freeway/33 mixed
GT-Line Turbo
1.6-liter 4-cylinder
190 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque
8-speed computerized transmission with paddle shifters
Drive Modes: Regular and Sport
Gas Financial system: 26 mpg metropolis/36 freeway/29 mixed
Exterior
The 2025 K4 is obtainable in 5 trims—LX, LXS, EX, GT-Line, and GT-Line Turbo. The 2 GT-Line trims have look components that add cred to their sportiness. The GT-Line has gloss black bumpers and window trim, and gloss black and satin chrome on the outside mirror caps and facet molding. Both 17” or 18” wheels can be found primarily based on the trim chosen.
The eight exterior colours give the chance to personalize the K4 with Aurora Black Pearl, Currant Crimson, Deep Sea Blue, Interstellar Grey, Snow White Pearl, Metal Grey, Wave Blue and Morning Haze, which is the colour we examined in Austin.
Inside
The K4 feels and is roomy inside, providing spectacular rear leg and head room. Trunk house can also be good, making the K4 a critical consideration even if you’re considering of going up a category to a midsize sedan.
Seat trim choices are TriCot material, SynTex (a synthetic leather-based) or mixture of material and SynTex that is available in 5 totally different, two-toned colours. The GT-Line entrance sport seats have “GT” embossing and are heated and ventilated, with the motive force getting 10-way energy changes and reminiscence.
The 60:40 split-folding rear seat comfortably seats two full-size adults, three for brief journeys, and has a folding middle armrest with cup holders. The rear passengers additionally get local weather vents and two USB-C charge-only ports.
Know-how is middle stage with screens for the instrument gauge cluster that seamlessly connects to the 12.3-inch touchscreen (for a complete display screen space of 30”) to entry the leisure, navigation, apps, and automobile system settings.
Leisure comes from the usual 4-speaker infotainment system or the out there 8-speaker (with two tweeters) Harmon Kardon Premium audio system that features AM/FM HD and SiriusXM radio, wired and wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Bluetooth is for streaming music, hands-free phone and the Kia Generative AI Voice Assistant.
This final characteristic generally is a journey advisor, play video games, get native info on factors of curiosity, give forex conversion and even entry the proprietor’s handbook. Utilizing conversational language, in case you preserve it pretty easy, you’ll be able to ask follow-up questions with outcomes near an actual back-and-forth dialog. There isn’t a value for the primary three years, then it turns into a subscription bundle for $19.99 month-to-month or $199 yearly. After utilizing it for 3 years for free of charge, it might be too laborious to surrender. Have your Kia gross sales consultant present methods to use it and see the way it can improve your driving expertise.
Security and Comfort
The 2025 K4 comes commonplace with an impressively full suite of superior driver help methods (ADAS). These embrace entrance and rear seat-mounted, driver knee and full side-curtain air luggage. Customary security options additionally embrace ahead collision warning and avoidance, lane departure and driver consideration warning, lane preserve help, blind spot collision avoidance, rear cross site visitors collision and parking distance warning, pedestrian ahead collision avoidance and lots of extra.
Further security and comfort options embrace a dual-zone computerized local weather system, acoustic entrance windshield, encompass view digital camera, push button begin/cease, distant keyless entry with a Digital Key, energy sunroof with shade, a tire strain monitoring system, digital stability management and a compact spare.
Hitting the Street
First up was the K4 GT-Line with the two.0L non-turbocharged engine and the IVT (Kia engineers’ tackle the constantly variable transmission), which affords higher gas financial system of the 2 fashions we examined in and round Austin. Efficiency was about 8.1 seconds 0-60 mph. The dealing with was tight, the experience and seats snug, however as a result of grooved concrete roads there was noticeable inside noise. Not horrible, however there at occasions. This may be a wonderful consideration for a price commuter sedan.
The K4 GT-Line Turbo with the extra energy and the 8-speed computerized transmission felt sportier and was good for about 7.2 seconds, 0-60 mph.
The MacPherson strut entrance, multi-link rear, and the dual tube shock fuel absorbers with water-filled hydro bushings, did a superb job preserving each the GT-Line and GT-Line Turbo agency and flat in gradual to medium tight cornering, with acceptable physique roll when pushed laborious. We preferred the heft of the steering wheel, and the way the digital steering was tuned so there was no disconnect from the street.
Head-turning Exterior
The K4 design is all-new and has a novel look that many would possibly say it’s head turning. The smooth look begins with the slender entrance grille that presents an aggressive look, particularly when turning-on the LED projector headlights and amber LED daytime working lights. The working lights additionally double as flip indicators, and LED fog lamps are built-in with the headlights.
The LED tail lights sit extensive on the rear fenders. Probably the most enticing components are the rear door handles which might be hidden within the C pillar, making the K4 appear like a coupe.
Pricing
The 2025 K4 sedan is available in 5 trim ranges. All are front-wheel drive. These base costs embrace the $1,155 vacation spot cost. Costs signify a couple of $2,000 bump from the Forte.
- LX $23,145
- LXS $24,145
- EX $25,545
- GT-Line $26,745
- GT-Line Turbo $29,645
Warranties
- Powertrain – 10 years/100,000 miles
- Fundamental – 5 years/60,000 miles
- Roadside – 5 years/60,000 miles
Observations: 2025 Kia K4
Some auto producers are getting out of the compact sedan enterprise aiming their sights at crossovers, SUVs and vehicles. Kia isn’t a type of firms. Whereas the end result could also be fewer decisions, the sedans in your native supplier are very good, and the 2025 Kia K4 presumably is among the many finest primarily based on our transient time with it.
The K4 is greater than a alternative for the Forte, which had been Kia’s compact sedan stalwart since 2010. The utterly reimagined K4’s design benefitted tremendously from what Kia discovered from its clients, which embrace people who owned the now-departed Stinger.
The K4 affords engine and transmission decisions, model, high-30s gas financial system, respectable efficiency, sturdy commonplace security methods and the most effective guarantee within the enterprise (which is matched by sibling manufacturers Hyundai and Genesis.) The 2025 Kia K4 is a superb alternative as an on a regular basis commuter, or when searching for some cornering enjoyable and additional efficiency. K4s are at Kia sellers now.
Be sure that to opt-in to the Clear Fleet Report e-newsletter (high proper of web page) to be notified of all new tales and automobile opinions.
Story by John Faulkner. Photographs by John Faulkner and Kia.
Disclosure
Clear Fleet Report is loaned free take a look at autos from automakers to guage, usually for per week at a time. Our street checks are primarily based on this one-week drive of a brand new automobile. Due to this we don’t deal with points resembling long-term reliability or complete value of possession. As well as, we are sometimes invited to producer occasions highlighting new autos or know-how. As a part of these occasions we could also be supplied free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our greatest to current our unvarnished evaluations of autos and information irrespective of those inducements.
Our focus is on autos that supply the most effective gas financial system of their class, which leads us to emphasise electrical automobiles, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and different environment friendly powertrains. We additionally characteristic these environment friendly gas-powered autos which might be among the many high mpg autos of their class. As well as, we purpose to supply opinions and information on superior know-how and the choice gas automobile market. We welcome any suggestions from automobile house owners and are devoted to offering a discussion board for various viewpoints. Please tell us your views at [email protected].
