New Kia K4: Forbidden fruit

Be it the EV6 or the all-new EV9 electric SUV. Kia is causing excitement with the current and future design of these types of vehicles – and that’s a good thing, because it’s important to stand out in the current SUV and crossover monotony. The latest creation and future design language is called K4. The model was recently unveiled at the 2024 New York Auto Show and will come in sedan and station wagon versions.

Visually, the large T-shaped headlights and orange LED daytime running lights are particularly noticeable at the front. The upper radiator has a typical Kia kink on the bottom. A side view creates more excitement. In the sedan, the roofline slopes smoothly towards the rear and ends in a very short, conventional hood that opens the trunk. What is particularly interesting from this perspective is the long rear overhang. The rear door openers are connected to the C-pillar, while the small side window ends abruptly and vertically in front of the D-pillar. The rear is also characterized by large lights – but this time in a flat L-shaped design. raised gives a sporty touch. The station wagon version appears to be the same as the sedan at 4.71 meters long up to the D-pillar, but is likely to be shorter in length. Another difference: the roof doesn’t slope gently, but instead ends at the rear elevation of the five-door sedan. The rear lights remain unchanged.

The interior is clean and modern. Kia has installed two 30-inch screens for the digital instruments and infotainment system. Header display is also available. There are physical buttons above and below the ventilation slots for, among other things, controlling the climate. The large gear selector lever for the automatic looks old fashioned. The front seats can be heated and cooled. In general, the interior of the K4 can be ordered in four different color schemes (green, brown, gray and black).

Kia offers the same engine for both models. Options include a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with 149 hp, 179 Newton meters of torque and a CVT transmission. A 1.6 liter turbo petrol engine with 193 hp and 264 Newton meters of torque is also available. An eight-speed automatic transmission is mated to this unit.

The new K4 will only be offered in the US, where it will replace the outgoing Forte. According to Kia, a market launch in Europe is currently not planned – what a shame! Unfortunately, in this segment we still have to make do with Ceed, which now seems outdated.