This new sedan sits below the K5 in Kia’s revamped sedan lineup.
While several automakers have all but abandoned sedans in favor of SUVs, Kia is one of the few actually sticking with it, as we saw when the redesigned K5 came along to replace the Optima. Now, we’re about to see another new sedan replace the aging Forte in the South Korean automaker’s U.S. lineup: the new K4.
A few teaser photos show off some elements of the company’s new compact sedan, but we admittedly can’t see too much at this point. Nevertheless, the car’s close ties to the K5 are immediately clear in both the daytime running lights and the fairly low roofline. Unlike the K5, though, the K4 has a design flourishes like the chrome brightwork that creates a visual kink in the beltline and the rear door handles, which are integrated into the C-pillar. Speaking of lines, the light in these teaser photos shows a broad shoulder line that opens up as you move further rearward, rather than one continuous line your eye follows from the front to the back.
We’ll get a better look at the exterior design next Thursday, March 21. After that, on the 27th, we’ll get full debut where we should learn much more detail about what the new K4 will entail in our market. Will it sport new powertrains or maybe a hybrid option? At the moment, the existing Forte packs either a 147-horsepower 2.0-liter engine or a 1.6-liter, 201-horsepower turbocharged mill for the GT. It’s also unclear whether any new Kia K4 GT would have a 6-speed manual option, or if buyers will only get an automatic from here on out.
As for a launch window, we may see a 2025 Kia K4 actually hit dealers sometime later this year. Pricing is still a question mark (and probably will be until after the New York Auto Show), though the whole point of keeping these cars in the lineup is to maintain a value proposition, as the K5 does. So, when it does actually arrive, the K4 shouldn’t cost too much more than the current Forte’s $21,145 starting price, up to around $25,845 for the GT (or a bit higher, if it keeps the manual option).
