2025 Kia K4 First Look
A new compact sedan replaces the Forte and upgrades the entry level with style and features.
Kia
Although SUVs have largely taken over the auto industry, small sedans are still strong sellers among buyers on a budget looking for comfortable and fuel-efficient daily transportation. For 2025, Kia updates its entry-level offering, replacing the Forte sedan with a new model called the K4, a modern vehicle that retains the Forte's appeal.
The K4 also moves forward in terms of fashion, bringing fresh looks intended to reflect the rising expectations of new-car buyers — even in the most affordable segments of the automotive market.
Kia
New Kia K4's Styling Gives a Nod to the Forte
The Kia K4 evolves the brand's styling language with the Forte, although there are still elements — particularly at the front of the car — that link it to its predecessor. In particular, the K4's grille maintains a similar grin, with the sharper bite of the Forte flattened out some at the top while retaining its lower indent.
Bigger changes are found in the car's lighting scheme, which introduces curved LEDs that ride up and alongside the leading edge and sides of the hood as opposed to the sharper slits on the older model. A deep cut into the front bumper shapes the rest of the headlight element, and more upright vents in the lower part of the valence give it additional bulk.
The most dramatic departure for the K4 comes at the rear of the car, where the look incorporates extended rear glass, a short trunklid, and a broad, upright back end. The rear is split horizontally by an end-to-end taillight arrangement that carves chunky brake lenses into the rear fenders, which have a more pronounced bulge than on the Forte.
The new Kia K4's side profile nearly resembles a hatchback thanks to its extended back end, and an actual hatchback model with a more traditional silhouette will eventually follow the sedan to market.
This is big news for the company. It didn't sell a hatchback version of the older Forte in the United States — but did, curiously, make one available to Canadian customers. Having such an option now will likely help the model compete more effectively against popular hatchbacks such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
Kia
Inside, the Kia K4's dashboard has been streamlined, with its infotainment screen now a flatter, longer rectangle compared with the one in the Forte, reducing its profile. The gauge cluster can feature an available screen, and the climate controls have migrated from knobs to a full-button look that also incorporates a small screen just ahead of the shifter.
It's worth noting that the K4 claims to be the widest and largest compact car among its peers, and it's certainly a little bigger than the model it replaces.
Features available include heated and ventilated seats, wireless charging for mobile devices, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. For those tired of gray interiors, there's also the option of a slate green color scheme.
Kia
Two Engines Choices Offered for the 2025 Kia K4
The base engine for the Kia K4 is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that's good for 147 horsepower, while a turbocharged, 1.6-liter four-cylinder makes 190 horsepower. These powerplants are very similar to those available with last year's Forte, except the turbo unit delivers 11 horsepower fewer than it did in 2024.
Kia also carries over the continuously variable automatic transmission found in the entry-level K4, but the turbo motor introduces a new eight-speed automatic to replace both the six-speed manual and the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that were found in the Forte.
Look for fuel-economy estimates to arrive later in 2024.
Kia
New, Faster Tech Is Bundled in the 2025 Kia K4
Kia trumpeted the availability of its Connected Car Navigation Cockpit system in the K4, which controls its combined touchscreen displays and promises faster responses to infotainment commands than past setups.
It's possible to access the car using a digital key stored on an Apple or Samsung mobile phone, and this key can be shared remotely.
Standard safety gear found with the K4 includes speed limit recognition, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and lane-keeping assistance. Optional upgrades on higher trims levels of the sedan include a more advanced forward-collision avoidance system that can detect intersection cross traffic, steering intervention that can swerve out of the way of potential obstacles or pedestrians, and Highway Driving Assist, which combines with adaptive cruise control to steer the K4 inside its lane at faster speeds.
Two types of blind-spot monitoring — one passive, one active — are also on offer, as is a surround-view camera feed of all sides of the vehicle.
Kia
The 2025 Kia K4 Is Expected to Arrive Later in 2024
Although there's no timeline yet for the hatchback's availability, Kia has stated that the K4 sedan will hit dealer lots in the second half of 2024. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date, but it should be similar to the Forte, meaning somewhere in the $21,000 to $27,000 range.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Benjamin HuntingBenjamin Hunting is a writer and podcast host who contributes to a number of newspapers, automotive magazines, and online publications. More than a decade into his career, he enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days and always has one too many classic vehicle projects partially disassembled in his garage at any given time. Remember, if it's not leaking, it's probably empty.
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