It’s about damn time that we got some new reasonably priced cars on the market, and it seems like they’re coming in like a flood. The latest reasonably affordable car ready for American showrooms is the funky-looking 2025 Kia K4 compact sedan. Pricing for the hatchback model hasn’t been released yet, so here’s the rundown on the four-door compact that’s about to be everywhere soon.
See, the Kia K4 has a lot going for it. Not only is it physically massive for a compact sedan, it looks bonkers, has a high feature content, and starts at just $23,145 including a $1,155 freight charge. It might seem like there’s a catch to that Corolla-undercutting price, but for the most part, Kia has included lots of good stuff like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, rear USB-C ports, and an extensive active safety suite on the base model, as well as stacked the trim levels tight. The LXS costs $1,000 more than the base LX, while the EX costs a mere $1,000 more than the LXS. So, what do these core trims get you?
Well, the LXS gets you selectable drive modes, 16-inch alloy wheels, a 60:40 split-folding rear seat instead of a one-piece folding unit, tweeters to bring the speaker count up to six, blind spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, and safe exit warning to mitigate the risk of dooring a cyclist or getting your door ripped off by a passing truck. Not a bad selection of features to have. The EX adds an automatic switch for the passenger window, wireless smartphone charging, dual-zone automatic climate control, a leatherette-wrapped steering wheel, sliding sun visors, nicer cloth upholstery, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Again, nice stuff to have, and reasonable feature content for $1,000.
Now, if you want a higher-spec Kia K4, you’re looking at the GT-Line model, which stickers for $26,345 including freight. If you can swing the extra $1,200 over the EX trim, the GT-Line seems absolutely worth it because it includes multi-link independent rear suspension, along with other goodies like a firmer spring and damper setup, paddle shifters, leatherette door trims, partial leatherette upholstery, 18-inch alloy wheels, adjustable lumbar support, heated front seats, a navigation system, and a host of cosmetic goodies. That’s a lot of kit for $1,200 over the EX.
A top-trim K4 GT-Line Turbo does sticker for $29,245 including freight, but it does add a perky, if not exactly performance-oriented, 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 190 horsepower. If that’s your sort of thing, go for it, but I have a feeling most people will likely be happy with the base two-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine. It also adds the eight-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system that’s available on the naturally aspirated GT-Line trim, just in case you want to really crank the tunes.
Now, there are some packages, but aside from one for a red interior and one for a moonroof, there are only two you really need to worry about. Naturally aspirated GT-Line models are available with a Premium Package that includes the aforementioned eight-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system, ventilated front seats and full-leatherette upholstery, driver’s memory functions, and acoustic glass. Everything in the GT-Line Premium package save for the memory seat and ventilated front seats come standard on the GT-Line Turbo, and that top trim’s available with a Technology Package that adds the aforementioned ventilated front seats and memory function, along with a 360-degree camera system, several active safety features, ambient lighting, and being able to use your phone as a key.
That’s all well and good, but it’ll push pricing close to Civic Si territory, and if you value performance, the stick-shift Honda is probably more your jam. In any case, cars like this are often best as sensible, mid-range or base-spec vehicles that get you from A-to-B on a budget.
In fact, Kia’s actually read the room, which means that the cheaper trims will arrive on dealer lots first. By undercutting the Civic and Corolla, it seems like Kia has a plausible hit on its hands that should do the outgoing Forte’s high sales volumes some justice. Expect it to start arriving on forecourts this September, and don’t be surprised if its large-for-a-compact footprint quickly makes it a favorite of small families and rideshare drivers.
(Photo credits: Kia)
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“It will cost only $23,145” – no, it won’t, not in reality.
If I lose my key can I start it with a USB cable?
Good news, there is a 5 door hatchback and it was announced that it will also be returning to the USA just not at launch of the sedan. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60319670/kia-k4-hatchback-confirmed/
Damn that looks nice.
The top trims don’t even get leather? That’s unfortunate. If I’m stuck in the base model penalty box to avoid leatherette I’d just assume shop a different vehicle.
you do realize that the vast majority of any new vehicle with “leather” is actually an oil based synthetic right? if an $80,000 Lexus isn’t going to have for real leather, then why would a $24,000 Kia?
“Vegan” leather, made with petroleum. An ethical conundrum.
The phrase is “just as soon” lol
for all intensive purposes, sure
yeah but not everyone likes leather. i certainly dont. i dont like sliding around and burning the fuck outta my legs. cant stand when they stick you with leather or pleather with no cloth option in higher end trims.
How many recalls are included in the base price, please?
Probably about as many as Ford, Chrysler, Jeep, Chevy or any other NA brand.
Sorry, bud: https://datahub.transportation.gov/stories/s/NHTSA-Recalls-by-Manufacturer/38mw-dp8u/
I hope the K4’s descending lighting elements are durable enough to handle minor impacts and scrapes, else future insurance premiums will be out of proportion for what is supposed to be an affordable vehicle. The potential for scores of K4’s on our roads with non-functional lighting units from parking mishaps because their owners can’t afford to get them repaired is not a good look for Kia.
Is there a cheaper way to get a new car with ventilated front seats and drivers memory functions? I’m perpetually annoyed by how highly priced the packages that include these two features are. This is a new low (a good thing) to my knowledge.
I still scratch my head when I look at an Audi or Mercedes and see features that are standard in a $23k Kia being an option box on an $80k car. If your margins just can’t handle it, how about you make it $81k then and throw in the ventilated seats standard? Most of your customers won’t notice at that price point.
I looked at a Kia Forte 10 years ago and it had a standard (on top trim) ventilated driver seat. Car was $23k or so.
Their customers usually like ticking boxes and the feeling to make it more expensive than the neighbors (“i checked all the boxes”)
“She’s fully loaded.” *slaps hood*
Yeah… but those Kia dealerships though.
I’ve made similar comments in the past, but why does the dealer experience matter? It’s a $23,000 car, you go to the dealer maybe two times. If they treat you like garbage walk out.
Exactly this. Also, being prepared and thick-skinned when you walk in to buy what you want helps too, whether it’s Kia or any other brand.
Sharing my buying experience in case this helps someone else…
The Kia dealer I worked with here in NC was great, but a lot of that was due to significant pre-planning. It took about 3-4 weeks to have everything needed ready. Here’s the list:
Knowing what my trade should be worth. Carmax, KBB, and a few other sources helped determine the average for a Very Good condition vehicle that needed minimal touch ups and no mechanical issues. Very, very few cars are “excellent” so please be honest when doing trade appraisals, to avoid being disappointed/frustrated/pissed off. Important to note that you are upside-down in your trade, you are working from a decided disadvantage.
Knowing what a fair price would be on the new vehicle. This used a lot of sources, including Edmunds, TrueCar, Consumer Reports, and dealer websites to name a few. No dealer is giving anything away for zero profit. The target vehicle was a popular model that often sells before it even arrives (Kia Sportage SX Prestige Hybrid).
Knowing my credit score and situation via FICO and beacon scores. Most of this you can do for free with your bank/credit union/credit card company/NerdWallet/etc.
Knowing what the payment should be at a given rate, with taxes and fees. Average fees per transaction, and state tax and reg fees, are usually posted online, or you can extrapolate this from your existing vehicle fees/taxes. I had to correct the first dealer because they did dishonest math.
Knowing whether or not to buy an extended warranty. Based this on reliability reports and common complaints.
Knowing who has the desired target vehicle in stock or very close to it, and whether they are reasonable about pricing or not. Skip places that pack useless crap on vehicles, unless you feel you can negotiate that out of your target purchase price.
Last, be confident and keep emotions in check during the negotiation and transaction. You’re armed with knowledge and can cut through any potential games. You also have the money, and you can walk if it’s a bad situation.
This won’t work with every dealer, but you can always buy elsewhere if that dealership is staffed by utter shitheads. The first Kia dealer wasted a lot of my time and was pretty unpleasant all the way ’round. The second, where I bought, was happy to work with someone prepared and made it a great experience.
TL;DR version – be completely prepared with data and the right attitude before engaging. Be fair. Be honest. And don’t take it personally if they start the dance we all know and hate so well – they do it to almost everyone because it usually works. Remember, you’re in control. You have what they want. You might even be pleasantly surprised!
If you really hate dealerships, see if your local credit union has an auto buying affiliation. You pay a fee but avoid all the hassles. You might even get a discounted finance rate too.
My Kia dealership, Moritz Kia Fort Worth, is amazing. My family has 5 Kia’s because of them. Been doing business with them for over 20 years now. My sister just traded in her Tesla model 3 for a new EV6. She hates Musk and was impressed by how my Kia dealer has pampered us over the years. A few bad apples does not spoil the whole bushel my friend.
Really depends on the ownership. The one near me is fine, as are the other dealers owned by the same family. However the family group that owns the one in the next city are pretty awful and all their dealerships are big on shenanigans.
Really needs a person for scale. I wish more press kits would include at least a few of those. I still can’t tell how big this thing is. Proportionally, it reads like a mid-size or smaller full size, but without a random 6’ dude, I can’t tell.
Never trust advertisers. They’ll have a slim 5’2″ dude out there so fast….
It does look bigger in pictures than it actually is, as though it’s maybe bigger than the K5. In reality it’s pretty close in most dimensions to its Hyundai Elantra cousin.
I’m proud of them for being reasonable with the wheel sizes. Stop jamming 20 inch wheels in small cars. The hatchback is going to be the attention grabber.
At what point do vehicles graduate into the next size category? Call it a midsize like it is! It should be a legal requirement to correctly advertise a vehicles size class.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_size_class
Make the car rental companies follow these same criteria. Their car classes are just unhinged
I think the context in the lineup makes the difference. My old 2003 Camry had the smaller Corolla and larger Avalon on sale at the same time, so it made sense to call it midsize. My wife’s 2018 Accord has no larger sedan equivalent and only the Civic for comparison. When we had that car and the older Camry at the same time however the Accord looked like a full size sedan to me. The vehicles keep getting bigger but the terminology stays the same.
Needs an Elantra N’s engine and call it the GT, just to continue the gt/gtline confusion
That rear quarter window line with the random chrome shark fin is a disaster.
100%
Looking at that profile makes me miss liftbacks.
All these sedans with their long sloped rear windows and tiny trunklids should be liftbacks.
I actually just came back to this article after seeing the profile again to see if it was a liftback.
Make it a liftback!!
It’s a good value on paper, but it looks like two different people that never communicated designed the front and rear of the car. Volvo in the front, Saturn Ion Quad Coupe in the back!
Is there a manual? Is the automatic the trusty 6-speed they used to put in everything or that gawdwaful CVT that they idiotically named “IVT”?
Exactly. A whole article on a interesting car model and not one mention of what transmission is installed. WTF, Autopian?
The second one.
It’s a new mainstream car for sale in the US. Of course there’s no manual. Those are long gone in mainstream cars.
Yeah. It looks cool until the engine decided to eat its own rod bearings. After witnessing the experience some of those I know who own this brand where Hyundai/Kia refused to replace the engines in their cars once they started using massive quantities of oil…. no thanks. And sorry- the styling looks way too overwrought.
Much like the K5, this is a pretty attractive car! Seems like a deal, too
I’m not sure I’m digging the “is it a fastback, or is the a trunk lid” design it has going on from the profile, but that is a small complaint. I hope this one really sells for Kia.
Being physically massive is not a selling point. I’d prefer if it wasn’t over a foot longer than my current car, personally.
I’d take this over the Kicks
I’ve been saying it for 3 years. This price range is what people want. KIA for the win! They’ll sell every unit as fast as they can make them.
Can’t complain about anything I see here. Seems like a great value.
Is this the equivalent to the European Ceed? If so Ceeds are much more basic in this neck of the woods.
No, it’s a size larger, I believe you used to get an earlier generation as the Magentis
Ah, then the last one we got was the Optima.
No, that’s the K5. This is roughly the C’eed equivalent.
Yeah, I got confused as to what KN K# this was
From what I can tell this is straight up going to be a Ceed replacement.