Back to News2025 Kia K4 Review
Vehicle Type: The 2025 Kia K4 is a four-door compact sedan that is capable of seating up to five passengers.
Price Range: The most basic 2025 Kia K4 model has a starting MSRP of $23,145 with the destination fee added but before dealership markups, taxes, options, and other fees are added. The most expensive Kia K4, the GT-Line Turbo, has a starting MSRP of $29,245 with the destination fee but before options. Fully loaded GT-Line Turbo models can approach the $33,000 mark.
Powertrain: There are two different powertrains available across the Kia K4 lineup.
The first consists of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque, a continuously variable automatic transmission, and a front-wheel-drive.
It is standard on the LX, LXS, EX, and GT-Line trim levels.
A more potent 190-horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 195 lb-ft of torque is standard on the top-of-the-line GT-Line Turbo.
It still comes with front-wheel-drive, but an eight-speed automatic transmission replaces the CVT.
What’s New for 2025?
The Kia K4 is an all-new model introduced by the automaker for the 2025 model year. It replaces the Kia Forte and aims to provide a more upscale driving experience with better design and technology at a still-affordable price.
What’s Good?
- There is tons of rear seat legroom for a compact car
- It comes with a bunch of tech and safety features for the money
- It is one of the best-looking cars in the segment
What’s Bad?
- There is currently no hybrid option
- Neither of its two available engines is particularly exciting
- Several competitors offer hatchback versions of their compact cars to increase utility and expand buyer options
Would we buy one? Yes! In a world where sedans are being put to the side in favor of crossovers, we think the Kia K4 is one of the most compelling new cars available with everything it brings to the table.
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Overview:
In its debut year, the Kia K4 is set to make a splash in the world of small sedans, thanks to its handsome styling, spacious interior, upscale feel, and plentiful driver assistance features. It replaces the outgoing Forte as a slightly more expensive option, but one that also feels more upscale, thanks to the Korean automaker’s extra efforts to make it a bit more than just another economical commuter car.
It competes with other compact cars like the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta, Subaru Impreza, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, and Mazda Mazda3. Even though many of these cars bring quite a bit to the table, the K4 looks to work its magic in the value department, especially with its low starting price and industry-leading 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
It does not feature the lowest starting MSRP, a hatchback variant is not yet available, and it is not available with any kind of hybridization or electrification, but it covers a wide swath of ground with everything it does offer. And, with rumors of a K4 hatchback model and an EV4 electric model down the road, it may become even more compelling in the near future.
Overall Score: 3.75/5 stars
Driving Experience: 2/5 stars
The driving experience that the Kia K4 provides is one of its weak points. If you are in the market for a comfortable sedan with a compliant ride that will get you around town just fine and offer a no-frills highway driving experience, the K4 will fulfill your needs. It is not a sporty car, and it really is not supposed to be. Even the GT-Line Turbo, though, is not as quick and planted as its name and sporty touches might imply.
Its base engine and CVT do well for jaunts around town, but as is typical with a CVT, it can make the engine feel overtaxed when pushed too hard. The eight-speed automatic in the GT-Line Turbo comes with paddle shifters, but its shifting is not as instantaneous as a typical dual-clutch transmission would be.
Both the Honda Civic and Mazda Mazda3 are, again, the driving experience winners in the segment. They both offer more potent powertrain options than the 190-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder in the GT-Line Turbo, but neither one is so sporty that it beats you up as you go down the road. The K4’s base engine is shared with its corporate causing, the Hyundai Elantra, and it features the least amount of power in the segment.
Safety Features: 4.5/5 stars
The NHTSA has not yet given the 2025 Kia K4 a full safety rating, but the IIHS has released its ratings for the car. It has given the 2025 K4 a Top Safety Pick award with good ratings in the small overlap, moderate overlap, and side crash tests, as well as in the pedestrian frontal crash prevention test. Its headlights have been given an acceptable score.
Standard driver assistance features on the K4 include forward collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic high-beam headlights, lane-keep assist, lane-following assist, adaptive cruise control, a rear-occupant alert system, and driver attention monitoring. Available safety features include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, enhanced forward collision warning, parking sensors, highway driving assist, enhanced adaptive cruise control, a surround-view monitor, and safe-exit assist.
The new K4 brings quite a bit to the table, especially when it comes to optional safety features that can be equipped for extra cash. Lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control are great standard features for the price, and even though some competitors like the Honda Civic and Mazda Mazda3 offer a few more base features, they cost more upfront. The K4’s high IIHS safety rating also helps it earn a high score for us.
Value: 4.5/5 stars
One of the Kia K4’s primary goals is to offer buyers high value for the money, and it delivers that in spades. It all starts with a low MSRP of $23,145, a price that meets the base Hyundai Elantra, Volkswagen Jetta, and Toyota Corolla head-on. The Sentra undercuts all of these cars by a few hundred dollars, but the K4’s 10-year/100,000-mile warranty is only shared by the Elantra.
Even though the entry-level K4 is basic, Kia’s interior upgrades and additional tech and safety feature improvements over the outgoing Forte have made it less of a simple econo-box and more of a desirable entry-level new car. It features class-leading rear-seat legroom, a sizable trunk, and a compelling exterior design.
Competitors like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Mazda Mazda3 are all available with a hatchback to improve overall utility, and the Subaru Impreza impresses with a hatchback-only design and standard all-wheel-drive. The K4 will also likely be in danger of a higher degree of depreciation than rivals like the Civic, Corolla, and Impreza. Still, it has more than enough to make it a compelling choice in the compact sedan segment.
Tech Features: 4.5/5 stars
One of the keys to the K4’s success should be its wide array of tech offerings. Standard infotainment features include a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, a 4-inch instrument display, a four-speaker audio system, Kia Connect smartphone app integration, and Bluetooth with multi-device connectivity. A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a six-speaker audio system, and wireless device charging are available on higher trim levels.
Other standard tech features include remote start, hill start assist, push-button start, a smart key, heated side mirrors, a smart trunk, automatic LED headlights, LED taillights, and an electronic parking brake.
Optional tech features and those found higher on the K4 trim level ladder include a digital key, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power-operated driver’s seat with memory functionality, heated front seats, ventilated front seats, a sunroof with a power-operated sunshade, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, ambient interior lighting, navigation, and LED foglights.
The standard infotainment display with wireless device connectivity alone may be enough to draw buyers in, but all of the standard and optional technology features that the K4 offers are impressive.
Practicality: 3.5/5 stars
Despite only being available in a sedan body style, the K4 does well for itself where practicality is concerned. It features 14.6 cubic feet of trunk space, falling just .2 cubic feet below the Honda Civic and beating out the rest of the segment. Both the Volkswagen Jetta and Hyundai Elantra have over 14 cubic feet of available trunk space, but that little bit extra could come in handy when you are dealing with a small car.
The K4’s front-seat passengers will enjoy 42.3 inches of legroom and 39 inches of headroom. Rear-seat passengers have 38 inches of legroom and 37.3 inches of headroom at their disposal. Those specs match what the Hyundai Elantra provides but exceed the legroom offered by the Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta, boosting its practicality score a bit.
As is typical for a small sedan, some taller passengers may have to duck a bit to get into the K4, but accessing its cabin should be easy for most people. Once inside, its interior controls are easy to navigate, and outward visibility is more than adequate. Again, it would be nice to have a hatchback variant like several key rivals offer, and the addition of optional all-wheel drive would be a nice touch as is offered by the Mazda3, Subaru Impreza, and its larger sibling, the Kia K5.
Styling & Design: 4.5/5 stars
When Kia discontinued the Forte, they set out to make a more desirable compact car, and one way they did that was to make the K4’s styling appealing. They certainly succeeded, and the K4 is one of the best-looking new cars on sale. It shares its general design language with the Kia Sorento crossover and Carnival minivan. It features a long, sloping roofline and even a recessed rear door handle that is concealed above its waistline and behind the rear windows.
Inside is much the same. It is much improved compared to the outgoing Forte, and although it is nowhere near luxury-car levels of feel, everything looks well-built and smart. The layout is simple, and the 12.3-inch touchscreen adds a modern and sophisticated flair. The sport steering wheel and pedals found on the GT-Line Turbo add an extra sporty flair.
The Mazda Mazda3 and Honda Civic still hold the prize for the nicest interiors in the segment, but the K4 is not far off the mark. The Mazda3’s sporty and modern exterior styling still earns our hearts for the best-looking compact car, but again, the K4 is neck-and-neck with it in the styling race. Of course, styling is subjective, and even though we think it looks great, the K4 certainly gets a bit of a push for being different without looking odd.
Fuel Efficiency: 3/5 stars
The base Kia K4 LX has the highest EPA fuel economy ratings in the lineup. It is rated at 30 MPG in the city and 40 MPG on the highway for a combined fuel economy estimate of 34 MPG. LXS, EX, and GT-Line models with the base engine earn slightly lower EPA estimates of 29 MPG in the city, 39 MPG on the highway, and 33 combined MPG. The GT-Line Turbo model earns the lowest estimates of 26 MPG city, 36 MPG highway, and 29 MPG combined.
These estimates are generally on par with the rest of the compact car segment, especially the 40 MPG highway rating that the LX has. The Subaru Impreza is on the low side of the spectrum, but that might be expected since it comes standard with all-wheel drive. The Nissan Sentra, Volkswagen Jetta, and Honda Civic all earn comparable fuel economy estimates, but the Toyota Corolla is a step above everyone with a combined fuel economy estimate of 35 MPG.
Although it can keep up with the competition and has a leg up on both the Subaru Impreza and Mazda Mazda3, it is not available with a hybrid powertrain. Even the Hyundai Elantra comes with an optional hybrid powertrain, and both the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla also have that option.
What’s it Going to Cost Me?
The 2025 Kia K4 is available in five different trim levels. Each one comes with front-wheel drive, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and Bluetooth with multi-device connectivity.
Standard safety features across the entire lineup include forward collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic high-beam headlights, lane-keep assist, lane-following assist, adaptive cruise control, a rear-occupant alert system, and driver attention monitoring.
The entry-level 2025 Kia K4 LX has a starting MSRP of $23,145 with the destination fee included. It comes with a 147-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a CVT transmission.
Other standard features include a 4-inch instrument display, a four-speaker audio system, remote start, cloth upholstery, air conditioning, hill start assist, push-button start, a smart key, heated side mirrors, a smart trunk, automatic LED headlights, LED taillights, an electronic parking brake, torsion beam rear suspension, and 16-inch steel wheels.
No package options are available for the K4 LX, but several standalone features like a $350 auto-dimming rearview mirror and several cargo and interior accessories are available.
The 2025 Kia K4 LXS has a starting MSRP of $24,145 and features the same powertrain as the LX model. It comes with the same standard features as the LX but adds blind-spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, a safe-exit warning system, drive mode select, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, a six-speaker audio system, and 16-inch alloy wheels.
In addition to the same standalone options carried over from the LX trim, the LXS is available with several extra paint colors.
The 2025 Kia K4 EX starts at $25,145 and features the same powertrain as the LX and LXS. In addition to the standard features from the LXS model, the EX model comes with one-touch power-operated front windows, dual-zone automatic climate control, upgraded cloth upholstery, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 5-inch climate display, a wireless phone charger, and 17-inch alloy wheels.
In addition to the standalone options available on the LXS, the EX can be chosen with either gray and black seat trim or green and black seat trim.
The 2025 Kia K4 GT-Line has a starting MSRP of $26,345 and is the most expensive trim level available with the base engine and CVT.
It builds upon the EX standard features and comes with extras like navigation, highway driving assist, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, a sport steering wheel, paddle shifters, Kia’s AI Assistant, multi-link rear suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels, and GT-Line accents.
The same standalone features from the EX remain available on the GT-Line with the addition of a few extra options. Buyers can add a $900 panoramic sunroof or purchase the $1,100 Premium package. It includes black and white SynTex upholstery, ventilated front seats, driver’s seat memory functionality, sound-absorbing windshield glass, and an 8-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. Buyers can also choose a red and black upholstery option that costs an additional $295.
The 2025 Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo serves as the top-of-the-line K4 model with a starting price of $29,245. It features a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
In addition to the more potent powertrain and the features from the GT-Line trim, the GT-Line Turbo also comes with all the equipment from the Premium package, a panoramic sunroof, alloy sport pedals, LED foglights, and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Most of the accessories from lower trim levels remain accessible, but an additional Technology Package is available to buyers. It costs $2,200 and includes ambient mood lighting, upgraded forward collision assist, Highway Driving Assist 2, blind-spot collision avoidance assist, parking sensors, reverse automatic emergency braking, a surround-view monitor, ventilated front seats, and a digital key.
If we had to choose a K4 model for ourselves, we would go all in and get the K4 GT-Line Turbo with the Technology Package. It costs more than any other trim level, but it comes with a host of nice features in a usable and practical package.
