The Kia K4 is a brand new model for 2025, and right out of the gate it becomes a top contender in the compact car category. It has handsome looks, a smooth ride, attractive interior, many standard and available features and tech, and good gas mileage. And all of this comes at a low price for the segment, starting at $21,990.
Base Price: $25,190
As Tested: $28,345
Horsepower: 190
Mileage: 29 mpg city/39 mpg highway/33 mpg combined
The K4 replaces the Forte, which was discontinued after the 2024 model year. The K4 is bigger, comes with more amenities, and has handsome looks that stand out from the crowd. There’s room for five passengers in two rows of seating.
The 2025 K4 is available in five trims: LX, LXS, EX, and GT-Line, and GT-Line Turbo. The LX starts at $21,990 – one of the lowest in the segment. The other trims start at $22,990, $23,990, $25,190, and $28,090, respectively. Front-wheel drive is standard – all-wheel drive is not available.
The K4 is a nice looking sedan, featuring Kia’s “Opposites United” design with a fastback roofline, wide stance, hidden rear door handles and vertically-oriented LED headlights and taillights.
Two engines are available. The LX, LXS, EX, and GT-Line trims get a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. The GT-Line Turbo trim is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that produces 190 horses and 195 pound-feet. The base engine gets a continuously variable automatic, while the GT-Line Turbo has an eight-speed automatic.
The K4 is not particularly exciting to drive, especially with the base engine and when compared to rivals such as the Honda Civic and Mazda3. The optional turbo has more pep. Either way, the K4 does have agreeable driving dynamics and will get you from point A to point B comfortably. The ride is smooth with the suspension soaking up bumps and rough roads. Steering is light. There’s little body lean when cornering. The base engine has enough power for driving around town and can accelerate for merging and passing on the highway, but you’ll want to plan ahead if you need a burst of speed. The turbo has enough oomph for quick acceleration.
Fuel economy is excellent for a compact car. EPA ratings for my GT-Line tester are 29 mpg city and 39 mpg highway with a combined rating of 33. I got 32 mpg during my week with a mix of city and highway driving. Models with the turbo engine do slightly worse at 26 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 29 mpg combined.
The cabin is a pleasant place to spend time with its modern, clean look. Sure, there are some hard plastics as you’d expect at this price point. But there are plenty of soft-touch materials as well and the attention to detail is impressive for an affordable vehicle. A large 12.3-inch touchscreen is on the dash, and it melds with the digital display. Seats are supportive and comfortable. Passengers in the front row enjoy good leg- and headroom. And unlike many smaller vehicles, those seated in the second row also have a decent amount of space. Two taller adults or three kids will be comfortable there.
Standard features include remote start, proximity keyless entry, push-button start, rearview camera, cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, four-inch digital instrument cluster and two LCD displays, infotainment system with 12.3-inch touchscreen, Kia’s Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) system, four-speaker audio system, satellite radio, HD Radio, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, four USB ports, and automatic high-beam headlights.
Available features include a surround-view camera system, auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual-zone automatic climate control, synthetic leather upholstery, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, ventilated front seats, six-speaker audio system, eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, navigation, voice control, wireless device charging, universal garage door opener, ambient interior lighting, and a sunroof.
Standard driver assistance technologies include forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-centering assist, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, intersection assist (sensors can help prevent crashes at intersections), pedestrian and cyclist detection, driver attention monitoring, and rear-seat alert.
Available driver assistance technologies include blind-spot monitoring, evasive steering assist (can steer the vehicle to avoid a crash), rear cross-traffic alert, reverse collision warning, reverse automatic emergency braking, front and rear parking sensors, parallel-exit assist (warns of traffic approaching from the rear when you’re leaving a parallel parking spot), and safe exit assist (keeps vehicle doors from opening if another vehicle is approaching from behind).
The infotainment system looks great with its large 12.3-inch touchscreen. Graphics are sharp and the system responds quickly. It’s very user-friendly with logically arranged menus, and plenty of physical controls for audio and climate. A cool feature – there’s a Map button. Tap it and you’ll see the navigation app that you last used on your smartphone.
Cargo space is good for a compact car. The trunk has 14.6 cubic feet of storage space. A hands-free power trunk lid is standard.
The K4 has Kia’s excellent warranty which includes a 5 year/60,000 mile limited basic warranty, and a 10 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty.
The good:
Affordable and excellent value for the money
Handsome looks
Pleasant driving dynamics
Smooth ride
Good gas mileage
Roomy and comfortable cabin
Many standard features and tech
User-friendly infotainment system
Standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
The not-so-good:
Not exciting to drive, especially with base engine
Pricing info:
My tester starts at $25,190. The GT-Line Premium Package is $1,100 and includes a Harmon/Kardon premium audio system, SynTex seating material, memory driver’s seat and outside mirrors, and ventilated front seats. The GT-Line Sunroof Package is $900 and includes a power sunroof with sunshade. The destination fee is $1,155, bringing the grand total to $28,345.
Bottom line:
The all-new 2025 Kia K4 checks almost all of the boxes when it comes to choosing a compact car. It’s good looking, comes well equipped, has a comfortable and roomy cabin, and gets great gas mileage. And all of this comes at a budget-friendly price. While the K4 is not as much fun to drive as some rivals, it debuts as a top pick in the segment.
