2025 Kia K4

Kia’s forte is undercutting its rivals (and then some) on price – without cheaping out. If anything, the new K4 sedan – which replaces the Forte as Kia’s most affordable offering – looks expensive.

Even though it’s the least expensive new sedan you can buy.

What It Is

The K4 is a compact-sized, entry level sedan that competes with the Honda Civic and Mazda3. It costs significantly less to start than either of its two main rivals and is available with features such as a panoramic flatscreen dash display that looks like what you used to have to buy a Mercedes S-Class or something in that class to get.

Base price is $21,990 for the LX trim, which comes with a 2.0 liter four (no turbo) paired with a CVT automatic. A mid-trim EX ($23,990) upgrades to the panorama flatscreen dash display, along with wireless phone charger and upgraded cloth upholstery.

There’s also a high-performance GT-Line Turbo iteration ($28,090) that swaps out the 2.0 liter engine (no turbo) for a smaller but more powerful 1.6 liter engine with a turbo that’s paired with an eight speed automatic. This trim also comes with synthetic leather seat covers, sport buckets, sport-tuned suspension (including an upgraded multi-link rear suspension), eight speaker Harmon Kardon audio system and gloss black/satin chrome trim.

You can also get most of the cosmetic and some of the functional upgrades of the GT-Line Turbo, including the sport suspension and 18-inch wheels – without the GT-Line’s drivetrain. The GT-Line (no Turbo) reverts to the 2.0 liter engine/CVT combo. It stickers for $25,190.

All K4s are front-wheel-drive.

What’s New For 2025

The K4 is brand-new. It replaces the Forte in Kia’s model lineup.

What’s Good

Looks and feels like a much more expensive car.

Standard engine isn’t turbocharged (so you’ll never have to worry about replacing a turbo after the warranty expires).

Cost thousands less to start than either the Honda Civic sedan ($24,250) or the Mazda3 ($23,950).

What’s Not So Good 

Forte was available with a manual transmission; the K4 is automatic only.

Mazda3’s standard engine is as powerful as the Kia’s optional engine.

AWD isn’t available.

Under The Hood

The K4’s standard drivetrain is pretty much the same as the outgoing Forte’s drivetrain. It consists of a 2.0 liter four that produces 147 horsepower; it is paired with a continuously variable (CVT) automatic.

This combo touts 30 MPG in city driving and 40 on the highway.

The K4’s optional engine is also pretty much the same as the outgoing Forte’s optionally available 1.6 liter, turbocharged engine – though the rated output has dipped a little bit from 201 previously to 190 for the new model year. The big difference is that this engine is no longer available with the six speed manual transmission that used to be optionally available – or the previously available seven speed dual-clutch automatic. Instead, an eight speed conventional automatic is the standard – and only available – transmission with this engine.

You can still get a manual in the Honda Civic – but only if you buy the much more expensive Si version, which stickers for $29,950 to start. Lower trims come with a CVT automatic and a 2.0 liter four (150 horsepower). The Mazda3 is also automatic-only, so Kia doesn’t have to worry much about the competition in this respect.

Still, it’s sad to see this otherwise extremely appealing new Kia go automatic only, if only because it means this Kia is now a lot like the rest in this respect.

On the upside, the K4’s standard 2.0 liter engine isn’t turbocharged and that means you’ll never have to worry about having to pay for a turbo replacement, which can be a bank-busting proposition. On the downside, this engine is paired only with the CVT automatic and these transmissions – speaking generally – haven’t got the greatest track record for long-term durability and they tend to be noisier than automatics that shift up and down through gears. This is precisely because a CVT does not shift – though some are programmed to simulate the shifting action. Rather, they vary the range you’re in relative to road speed and the driver’s demand for more (or less) power, exercised via his right foot.

When the driver floors it, the engine in a CVT-equipped car will allow the engine to rev to the peak of its powerband and hold it there, which can feel like the transmission is slipping – and sounds like the engine is struggling.

The good news is the K4’s mileage with the 2.0/CVT combo is excellent: 30 city, 40 highway. And it gets to 60 in about 9 seconds, which is quick enough to allow for merging without needing to build up a head of steam first (or wait until you have the “all clear” for about a half-a-mile behind you).

Mileage with the 1.6 turbo engine/eight speed automatic is pretty good, too. This version of the K4 touts 26 city and 36 highway, which is a small price to pay to be able to get to 60 in about 7 seconds, a two second improvement over the K4 with the standard engine.

On The Road

It’s a little weird driving a car these days – given how few there are relative to the presence everywhere you drive of crossovers, pick-ups and SUVs.

But it’s also enjoyable to drive something that’s not another crossover, pick-up or SUV.

Cars have become scarce relative to crossovers, pick-ups and SUVs because there are only a few cars you can buy for less than $25k that are large enough inside for a family rather than just a couple (or a single). Even mid-sized cars like the Camry and Accord that were once top sellers aren’t selling as well anymore because they both sticker for nearly $30k to start – and neither of these two has appreciably more room inside than this Kia – which stickers for under $22k to start.

They’re also both close to a foot longer. If they were rear-drive cars with long hoods, they’d feel more like larger cars used to, but they don’t – being front-drive cars with shorter hoods. The K4, on the other hand, feels bigger than it is – probably because it is big on the inside (more on this follows below) while also feeling more agile, especially at low speeds – because (once again) it is. This car takes less back-and-forthing when parking because it’s small and agile enough to just slide into position without much need (if any) for correction. The Honda Civic and Mazda3 are just as virtuous in this respect but also significantly more  expensive, which is no small thing these days when two plastic bags of groceries costs $100.

But it’s not as sporty as it looks.

With the 2.0 liter engine (and the standard suspension) the K4 is a fine alternative to the Civic with its standard 2.0 liter four and CVT automatic but outmatched by the Mazda3 equipped with its standard 2.5 liter (191 horsepower) engine and six speed automatic – and not just in terms of acceleration. The Mazda is as sporty as it looks. But – again – it’ll cost you $2k more for that. It also has much less backseat legroom – and a smaller trunk.

The GT-Line gets you sportier handling feel because it comes with a multi-link (vs. torsion bar) rear suspension and 18 inch wheels, which sharpen up the steering feel via shorter, stiffer sidewall tires). But you may prefer the softer ride you get with the standard 16 inch wheels.

The GT-Turbo has the additional power to complement the upgraded suspension but it also comes with the turbo – and while having the additional power is nice, it may be even nicer to only spend about $25k (rather than $28k) and never have to worry about spending anything for a new turbo.

On the EX and higher trims, you get a Mercedes S-Class looking full-panel LCD dash display but you do not have to tap/swipe it to make adjustments to the climate control system. There are large toggle-style switches mounted on the center stack that make it easy to adjust the cabin temperature (and fan speed) by feel, without taking your eyes off the road.

All trims come standard with adjustable cup holders that snug-fit everything from a cup of coffee to a super-sized Big Gulp.

The gear selector handle mounted on the center console is also pleasantly tactile as well as (arguably) functionally superior to the keypad buttons and so on that have become popular that give no meaningful feedback. With a gear selector handle, you know you’re in Park because Park is all the way forward – and you can feel that. Reverse is one notch back – and you can feel that, too.

With buttons you have to look to be sure. It’s a small thing that’s also arguably a big thing.

At The Curb

Can cars make a comeback?

If more were like this Kia, they could. It’s affordable, obviously. And it’s nice looking, with its Stinger-inspired fastback lines. But what really matters here is that it isn’t small on the inside.

At 185.4 inches long, the K4 is – nominally – a compact-sized sedan. But have a look at the cabin – and trunk – specs. There’s 42.3 inches of legroom up front and 38 inches in the backseat. The Forte only had 35.7 inches of rearseat legroom, which made it tight for adult-sized passengers. But the really interesting comparison is with the mid-sized Toyota Camry, which is 193.5 inches long but essentially the same size on the inside. It has 42.1 inches of front seat legroom and 38 inches of rearseat legroom – and a 15.1 cubic foot trunk vs. the K4’s 14.6 cubic foot trunk. The Camry has also been shorn of the V6 that used to be available that set it apart – under the hood – from compact-class sedans that never offered them. Ditto the Accord, which is also now a four cylinder-only sedan.

It begs the question: Why buy the larger – thousands more expensive – sedan when it’s not any bigger on the inside? Or under the hood?

The question is begged again when you compare the EX and higher trims with luxury-brand sedans that cost literally twice as much but all you get for that is a very similar full-dash LCD display that might have been sourced from the same supplier – and a four cylinder engine under the hood.

The Rest

A hatchback version of the K4 is apparently on deck for the 2026 model year and that will add to the car’s interior bigness by opening up more space (and access) for items that are hard to fit inside a trunk. It will also give potential buyers what they can already get in a Civic – which is already available in hatchback configuration – and undercut the Mazda3, which is only available as a sedan.

The Bottom Line

“Game changer” is an overused cliche – but that doesn’t mean it’s not sometimes true.

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