The 2025 New York Auto Show is right around the corner, and while we don’t know everything about what’s going to appear at the show, we can make a few educated guesses. Let’s take Kia, for example. In a brief teaser post for this round of debuts, the automaker offered up this juicy little line:
The three Kia debut vehicles span distinct model lines, encompass two fully electric powertrains, and one offers a sporty and versatile approach in the compact car segment.
Hmm, a compact car? There’s only one thing that fits that description. Yes, it’s the Kia K4 5-door, previously confirmed for North America but with no firm launch timing. Well, it’s been about a year since the sedan was unveiled in New York, so the timing feels right for a reasonably priced Kia with some extra practicality.
We at The Autopian like the K4. Not only does it feature a neat mix of materials and novel interior design, it’s also properly useful, comfortable, and efficient. I pushed a modestly equipped sedan through Snowmageddon earlier this year, and not only did it handle big snow drifts with aplomb, its chassis was confident and predictable enough that I was overtaking crossovers and pickup trucks. Okay, winter tires did help, but it just goes to show how capable the K4 is. Oh, and did I mention it’s a lot of car for the money? You can pick one up for around half of what the average new car costs, and it’ll be nicely specced too.
The biggest demerit against the sedan is that it looks weird. My mum described it as if the front and rear were designed by two separate people who didn’t talk to each other, but this quasi-wagon looks far more cohesive to say the least. Extending the roofline and going with a hatch makes the quarter window look less severe, and a strategically placed piece of glossy black trim completes the effect. The result is a transformation from frumpy to fabulous, a dashing wago-hatch that makes the Civic hatchback and Corolla hatchback look a bit ordinary.
Under the hood, we’re expecting to see the same selection of powertrains we’ve seen in the sedan, a two-liter naturally aspirated four-banger mated to a CVT, or a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Expect solid fuel economy out of the former and warm, if not exactly hot, performance out of the latter. Also expected to be on tap? Two big screens under one pane of glass, all the gizmos you’d really want, and surprisingly comfortable seats.
Of course, this is a roll of the dice right now, but we’ll find out really soon if a U.S.-spec K4 5-door will appear at the New York International Auto Show. Expect details on everything Kia’s bring to be released on Wednesday, and with the brand also teasing the EV3 compact electric sedan, it seems like this year’s show is going big on sensible cars.
Top graphic image: Kia
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There seems to be an awful lot of confusion as to what a wagon is today, I suppose because they are so unfortunately rare. This is NOT a wagon. It’s a stereotypical, chopped off tail hatchback.
IIRC, back in the olden days Torch came up with some pretty good rules as to what is a wagon and what is a hatch. I believe one of the biggies was that a wagon has a C and a D pillar, and the window between them is longer than it is tall. I don’t believe it was his rule, but to me the cargo bay also needs to be longer than it is tall. I think this car fails both of those tests, though it MIGHT be close on the second one. But I don’t this thing has enough junk in it’s trunk to be a wagon.
The classification I’ve been using without really thinking about it until now is whether the length of the alleged wagon matches (or approximates) it’s sedan counterpart with hatchbacks seeming more like the trunk was chopped off. I wonder if it’ll hold up to scrutiny.
Of course it depends on a sedan variant existing.
I agree that there needs to be a sedan version as a general rule, and the footprint being the same (or longer ala Peugeot 504/505) makes perfect sense too. The long rear side window plays into that. But for sure if you lop off the back it’s just a hatchback.
For me, that disqualifies the Subaru Forester from being a wagon. No sedan plus jacked up means it’s a CUV. I don’t think there is really a sedan version of the Outback anymore either, as the Legacy is now significantly different (I think, I could be wrong). But the Audi AllRoad and the current MB All-Terrain are still wagons, albeit ruined ones.
It’s overwrought, but I don’t hate it. It’s not a wagon though, any more than a regular Golf is a wagon. Just a proper four door hatchback. Absent jacking it up 3-4″ and slathering it with black plastic, I would say it’s sales will be underwhelming.
No stick, no chance of sale to me though. And I am sure the inevitable screens, screens, screens interior would keep my wallet firmly closed anyway.
I like the body style, I like the look. But when it comes to powertrains…
“Under the hood, we’re expecting to see the same selection of powertrains we’ve seen in the sedan, a two-liter naturally aspirated four-banger mated to a CVT, or a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.”
I do not want either of these options. What I’d want is either a manual transmission or a hybrid powertrain with a single speed eCVT to give TRULY solid fuel economy.
Yeah, WTF isn’t it a hybrid? That makes no sense in 2025, that should be pretty much expected by now. Frankly, it should have been expected 15 years ago, but here we are
I wonder if the logic is “The Hyundai version gets the hybrid”
Tariffs……
The bride and I have been talking about an electric car for her, she’s been adamantly opposed so far because she really likes her Allroad wagon and does not want a sedan, minivan or suv thing……I would love to see this on our roads, it would be brilliant for her use……although I’m not keen on the Cuisinart blade wheels.
This looks really nice, not crazy about Kia but I’d love a new wagon.
Doesn’t Kia already make something like this, called the Niro?
This will be shorter in height than the Niro, and Seltos for that matter. Think of the split like the Civic hatch vs. HR-V or Mazda3 vs. CX-30.
But that means I’d have to go to a Kia dealer to buy it. I’ll pass.
Yeah, they revealed this March of last year. I’ve been waiting for news on this one. Seems like Kia is really dragging their feet for some reason.
Its just another crossover-SUV thing. Not a wagon.
Hmm, it’s based on a sedan, has four passenger doors, and has a hatch. What’s not wagon-ey enough for you?
Agreed. It’s not taller than I am (5’9″ and shrinking), so, wagon.
Now, needs more power and a stick, and THEN I’ll be interested.
It doesn’t have “off-road” fender flares nor an arbitrary elevated ride-height. Looks like a wagon to me.
Congrats on the shit-take of the day.
Agree – it’s a hatchback, not a wagon. Doesn’t look jacked up enough to really be a CUV, but hard to tell with no frame of reference – those might be gigantic wheels.
Definitely NOT a proper wagon though. It will have minimal space behind the rear seats, and while the tailgate and roof aren’t as sloped as some, they will still cut into cargo capacity considerably..
It passes the 2022 Torch Wagon Test.
I can’t tell how this compares in size to the Ceed, but I had a PHEV Ceed wagon as a rental last year in Germany, and I liked it enough to consider buying it if it were available in the USA. I kind of prefer the subdued styling on the Ceed to this, but I don’t hate this K4, especially in that color.
I had a x’Ceed PHEV rental in Denmark. It was, fine. It went completely dead on me once and I panicked not knowing what do it. Pushing start didn’t do anything, so I figured it was probably like a computer or tablet so I just held down the start button and it came back to life. I was somewhat excited to get it because I think it had the same drivetrain as the Niro, which I was interested in. I eventually drifted away from Niro interest and got a Civic hybrid hatchback instead. (Note: In Canada they sold the Forte in a hatchback roughly comparable in size and shape to the current Civic hatchback.)
Not a station wagon. That is a compact hatchback. A station wagon would have room for a third row of seats.
So my ex wife’s 1984 escort wagon was not a station wagon because it did not have 3 rows of seats?
I’m not saying I agree or disagree, but the statement was “have room for” not “have”
So by that logic, the following were also not station wagons:
That said, the Tesla Model S must be a station wagon because it was (is?) offered with a third row.
No Toyota Matrix? I’m hurt.
We can call them “compact wagons.”
And, I think there is an angle of the rear door that demarks a wagon from a hatch. Not sure what it is, but I know it when I see it.
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Like porn.
You’re thinking specifically of full-size and some larger midsize wagons, very few compact wagons have ever had a 3rd row of seats, at least post-1960s.
Kia has been on a roll with it’s design team. They’ve been delivering good looking vehicles for a while now. If only they weren’t Kia’s.
This is a sharp little wagon. I’d love to see a PHEV version as I’m not ready for a full EV yet. That said, once the self imposed tarfif catastrophe is complete everything will be way too expensive.
I predict when the American version of this arrives, it will have grey plastic cladding everywhere, a slight lift, plastic ‘skid plates’ and off-roadie looking tires. It will also be called the K4 Adventure or something similar.
And a couple of grand more MSRP.
I agree with your mom. I think the K4’s front half is pretty sharp until you get to the back half and the hips just make the whole thing look so ill proportioned. Now this? I could get down with this.
I’ve been baffled by styling for years.
Do people actually like any of the new designs?
The rear on this one is much better than most, but what about the front end?
Are we going to ignore that Kias and Hyundais are targeted by thieves now whether they are faulty or not.
It killed gm for years once they were known targets.
As far as styling goes it’s all subjective obviously. I think the K4 isn’t bad looking, not great but not bad compared to a lot of other cars out today.
Now for the thieves, I would say it’s more design flaws compared to style that is letting people steal them in such droves. I don’t think somebody stealing a 2012 Sonata is after that car for the looks ha
Not for the looks, I hope!
They have had some built in vulnerabilities, with the result that even protected cars may be vandalized or stolen.
Owners might be at great risk too.
Have the designers over at Kia been playing BeamNG.drive? This thing looks a lot more like a Cherrier than I think they’d like to admit.