2025 Kia K4
View more photos
View more photos
View more photos
View more photos
View more photos- 2025
Pricing
2025 Kia K4 Review
Pros
- Comes standard with lots of helpful technology features
- Generous rear legroom
- Sharp styling
Cons
- Not as fuel-efficient as some rivals
- Base engine can be sluggish to accelerate
- Distinctive styling
What's new
- The Kia K4 is an all-new small sedan
- It's effectively a replacement for the Forte
- 2025 is the first year for the K4
Overview
The 2025 Kia K4 is an all-new small sedan. It serves as a replacement for the discontinued Kia Forte and joins the larger midsize K5 in Kia's sedan lineup. The K4 has some visual similarities to the K5, and its angular headlights, pronounced fenders and tapered roofline give it a sporty look. Kia has also made sure that the K4 is a sensible purchase too.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2025 Kia K4 LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.10 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.
Edmunds spotlight: Budget-friendly without feeling cheap
With a starting price of about $23,000, the 2025 Kia K4 undercuts some of its rivals by a thousand or two. For your money, you're getting plenty of standard features. Highlights for even a base K4 include a big 12.3-inch center touchscreen, wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and an impressive collection of driver assist features that can help make driving easier and safer. The more expensive K4 trim levels get significantly nicer cabin materials, a more powerful turbo engine and a larger digital gauge display, plus several other desirable features — and still keep the price accessible. It's hard to find a downside to the new K4, especially when you factor in Kia's long warranty.
Competitors to consider
The Kia Forte remained in a strong second place behind the all-around class-leading Honda Civic. Even though the K4 costs a bit more than the Forte, we wouldn't be surprised to see it take over that favorable spot among compact sedans. The Hyundai Elantra follows a similar path as the K4 by delivering a lot of features for the money. There's also the sporty Mazda 3, which is the most entertaining to drive among the bunch. We'll know more about the K4 stacks up once our test team is able to get one in for a full evaluation.
Edmunds Expert Rating
Performance
The brake pedal offers decent emergency stopping power and makes it easy to stop smoothly in city driving. Around corners, the K4 doesn't give you much feel for the road and noticeably leans as you drive with more enthusiasm. If you're looking for sportiness, the K4 will be disappointing, though in day-to-day driving it's perfectly inoffensive.
Comfort
Interior
For a small sedan, the K4 has impressive roominess in the back seat and large door openings that make it easy to climb in and out. The tapered roofline seems to suggest that the rear would have a headroom issue, but there's enough for even passengers over 6 feet tall. The K4's amount of rear legroom is more like a midsize sedan's.
Save as much as $623 with EdmundsClick on the trim you’re interested in to see what Edmunds suggests you should pay to get a good deal. Savings vary by trim; $623 refers to estimated savings off of MSRP for the GT-Line Turbo trim.
National Average Price
Technology
Advanced driver assist features are also plentiful, with adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, and automatic high beams as standard equipment. The available surround-view camera system provides crisp-looking views of what's around you for easy parking. We also give the K4 high marks on how these driver assist systems operate. They avoid generating any excessive beeping or false alarms like you can experience in some other vehicles.
Storage
Small sedans aren't as ideal for installing child safety seats as, say, a minivan, but the K4's large door openings and easily accessible upper and lower LATCH anchor points make installation easier than in most rival sedans. There is plenty of room to fit even a rear-facing seat. You just have to watch out for the low roofline when leaning in.
Fuel Economy
Value
And that's before you consider Kia's excellent warranty offerings: five years/60,000 miles of basic coverage and 10 years/100,000 miles of powertrain coverage.
Wildcard
Which K4 does Edmunds recommend?
The 2025 Kia K4's base trims are a little too basic for our tastes, which is why we suggest stepping up to the midrangeEX model. It dresses up the interior with nicer materials, a digital instrument panel, dual-zone automatic climate control and a wireless charging pad, and it keeps the cost reasonable.
Kia K4 models
The 2025 Kia K4 is a small sedan that is offered in five trim levels:LX,LXS,EX,GT-Line andGT-Line Turbo. Most models are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (147 horsepower, 132 lb-ft of torque). It's paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that sends power to the front wheels. The range-topping GT-Line Turbo upgrades to a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder (190 hp, 195 lb-ft) that is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
LX
Starts you off with standard feature highlights that include:
- 16-inch steel wheels with plastic covers
- Heated mirrors
- Remote keyless entry
- 4-inch driver information display
- Air conditioning
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
- Four-speaker audio system
Standard advanced driver assist features include:
- Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
- Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front)
- Lane keeping assistance (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
- Rear passenger reminder (alerts you to check the rear seat before exiting the vehicle)
- Driver attention monitor (issues an alert if sensors determine you are becoming fatigued)
LXS
Adds a few safety and convenience features such as:
- 16-inch alloy wheels
- Selectable drive modes
- 60/40-split folding rear seats
- Two additional speakers
- Blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning (alerts you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse)
- Passenger safe exit alert (can prevent a rear passenger from opening a door into traffic approaching from behind)
EX
Upgrades the K4 inside and out with:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- 12.3-inch driver information display
- Soft-touch interior materials
- Upgraded cloth upholstery
- Steering wheel and shifter wrapped in synthetic leather
- Wireless smartphone charging pad
GT-Line
Adds some sporty touches by way of:
- 18-inch wheels
- Gloss black and satin chrome exterior trim
- Multi-link rear suspension for improved handling
- Sport-tuned suspension
- Paddle shifters
- Cloth and synthetic leather upholstery
- Power-adjustable driver's seat
- Heated front seats
- Navigation system
- Voice activation
- Highway Driving Assist (enhanced lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control functionality)
GT-Line Turbo
This top trim is the only model with the more powerful engine. It also comes with:
- Upgraded headlights
- Sound-insulated windshield
- Sunroof
- Synthetic leather seat upholstery
- Rear passenger air vents
- Eight-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio
The most notable option is theTechnology package that's exclusive to the GT-Line Turbo trim. It adds:
- Cross-traffic collision mitigation
- Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)
- Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the vehicle and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
- Blind-spot camera (displays an image of the vehicle's blind spot in the instrument panel when you activate a turn signal)
- Driver's seat memory functions
- Ventilated front seats
- Interior ambient lighting
- Keyless entry
Kia K4 Reviews
Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Amazing value
5 out of 5 starsRoomy ride
4 out of 5 starsPay little for a lot
5 out of 5 starsLove
4 out of 5 starsHelpful shopping links
2025 Kia K4 video
Kia K4 vs. Toyota Corolla Hybrid vs. Honda Civic Hybrid: Which Compact Sedan Is Best?
2025 Kia K4 Features & Specs
| Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $21,990 |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | Gas |
| Combined MPG | 34 MPG |
| Cost to Drive | $112/month |
| Seating | 5 seats |
| Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 14.6 cu.ft. |
| Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
| Warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the K4 include:
- Back-up camera
- Blind Spot Monitoring
- Lane Departure Warning
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
- Stability Control
- Pre-collision safety system
- Post-collision safety system
2025 Kia K4 First Impressions
.jpg&f=jpg&w=240)
When Kia redesigns a model, it doesn't just tweak the body panels and grille and call it a day. The automaker typically goes all-out. That’s especially true for the stylishKia K4 that debuted at this year's New York Auto Show. The name might be new, but the K4 will serve as the next-generation Forte. (The automaker took a similar strategy in 2021 when it switched the name of its Accord- and Camry-fighting midsize sedan from Optima to K5.) Kia’s littlest sedan will feature new driving aids and 30 inches of screen space, along with a distinctive design that clearly sets it apart from the crowd of Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas. A hatchback version will come in the future, but Kia hasn't disclosed when.
What's under the K4's hood?
The K4 is a redesigned model, but elements of the outgoing Forte carry over, starting with the engine options. A 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque) is standard and paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels. In Edmunds' previous testing of a Forte with this powertrain, we noted a 0-60 mph time of 8.7 seconds — not exactly record-setting but typical for a compact sedan with a base engine.
Thankfully, buyers looking for something spicier can still opt for the GT-Line Turbo, powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder. It's less potent than before (190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft, compared to 201 hp in last year's Forte), but is matched with an eight-speed traditional automatic rather than the old seven-speed dual-clutch. We expect the normal auto to be a bit smoother in everyday driving. Unfortunately, there is no more manual transmission option; those who wish to row their own economy-car gears can choose certain versions of the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.
How's the K4's interior?
Against those long-running rivals, the K4’s cabin is uniquely modern. Kia’s interior designers snagged a few themes from the brand’s EV9 electric flagship SUV and trickled them down to the K4. The centerpiece is the expansive infotainment display consisting of a 5-inch climate display and twin 12.3-inch displays for the instrument panel and central touchscreen. The latter features standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on all models for seamless smartphone integration. And, thankfully, there are buttons for basic high-level audio and climate control functions, so you're not entirely reliant on the screen. We also like the playful interior color palettes of black, white, gray or green(!).
How's the K4's tech?
The Forte came with a fairly basic set of standard advanced driving aids, but the K4 needs to be fully competitive. As with the Civic and Corolla, every K4 will come with adaptive cruise control and speed limit recognition. On the options list are front cross-traffic collision detection and a 360-degree parking camera. The available Highway Driving Assist 2 function adds lane centering assistance, requiring little driver input while driving on the highway.
Competitors to consider
Compact sedans like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are stalwarts in the segment and offer more configurations like hybrids, manual transmissions, hatchbacks, and track-ready weapons like the Civic Type R and GR Corolla. Still, the K4 is a great entry point to Kia and now offers more tech and a great new look that evokes Kia’s flagships.
Edmunds says
With a completely new look, the K4 should help Kia tap into the compact sedan market more, but with only two engine choices and not many additional configurations, it loses a bit of shopping appeal.
FAQ
Is the Kia K4 a good car?
What's new in the 2025 Kia K4?
According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2025 Kia K4:
- The Kia K4 is an all-new small sedan
- It's effectively a replacement for the Forte
- 2025 is the first year for the K4
Is the Kia K4 reliable?
Is the 2025 Kia K4 a good car?
How much should I pay for a 2025 Kia K4?
The least-expensive 2025 Kia K4 is the 2025 Kia K4 LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $21,990.
Other versions include:
- LX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT) which starts at $21,990
- LXS 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT) which starts at $22,990
- EX 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT) which starts at $23,990
- GT-Line 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT) which starts at $25,190
- GT-Line Turbo 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 8A) which starts at $28,090
What are the different models of Kia K4?
Related 2025 Kia K4 info
Vehicle rankings by type
Research similar car reviews
- New Toyota Corolla
- New Hyundai Elantra
- New Nissan Sentra
- New Nissan Altima
- New Chevrolet Malibu
- New Nissan Versa
Automotive News
- 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid vs. 2025 Kia K4 vs. 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid: 3 Affordable Compacts, but Which Is Best?
- Driven: The 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Goes Long on Range, Short on Space
- 2024 Mercedes E-Class First Look: A Luxury Sedan for Gen Z
- Watch: The Hyundai Ioniq 6 Takes Aim at the Tesla Model 3
- Fisker Unveils Three New Vehicles, Including an Electric Pickup and 1,000-HP Convertible