Kia K4 review

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but what if that statement was reversed and posed as a question: can you teach a new dog old tricks? The Kia K4 could give us the answer. 

You see, it’s a brand new, striking-looking car and one with a model name you’re likely unfamiliar with. However, if you look a bit closer, you’ll see Kia has some remarkably simple, traditional goals – or tricks – in mind here. The K4 is actually really easy to define: it’s a petrol-powered family car, meaning it rivals the Volkswagen Golf. It also takes on our reigning What Car? Family Car of the Year, the Honda Civic. 

There’s no need to follow that up by saying the K4 also takes design elements from SUVs or coupés, or that it straddles a couple of car classes. It is what it is, and it effectively picks up where the old Kia Ceed left off. 

Let’s dive into the details and see exactly how well this new dog and its old tricks stack up…

What’s New?

- November 2025: First UK deliveries

- October 2025: Orders open. Pure, GT-Line, GT-Line S trims. All UK 1.0-litre cars have mild hybrid tech

- September 2025: K4 debuts with 113bhp 1.0 T-GDi petrol engine with a six-speed manual gearbox or optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Also 147bhp/177bhp 1.6 T-GDi petrol engine, only in seven-speed dual-clutch auto form

How fast is it and which engine is best?

The Kia K4 engine range kicks off with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit fitted with mild hybrid technology. Acceleration is fine around town, but it needs working harder than rivals to get up to motorway speeds, especially with a car full of occupants. You sometimes need to change down a gear to help maintain momentum up hills, too. You can choose between a six-speed manual gearbox or, for a premium, a seven-speed automatic gearbox. 

We’d avoid choosing this engine with the automatic. It feels more sluggish than the manual, being slow to respond when you ask it for a quick burst of speed. If you want an auto, consider upgrading to our preferred 147bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, whose extra grunt makes getting up to speed much more effortless. 

There is another option of course: the 177bhp 1.6-litre T-GDi. It sees a slight performance jump over the 147bhp version on paper, but it’s not really noticeable in real world driving, so we don’t think it’s worth the extra cost.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

In the corners, the K4 is more competent than super sharp. The precise steering means the car is easy to place and there’s a good amount of grip to rely on, and though there’s some body lean, it’s fairly well controlled.

By comparison, the lighter, sharper Seat Leon feels much more agile. The Honda Civic, meanwhile, is keener to change direction and has meatier steering than a K4, helping it feel more engaging. The K4 just feels a bit cumbersome as you push on. 

The ride comfort of the K4 is also fine, rather than class leading. There’s a good degree of complicity, plus it’s controlled enough that it’s rare to experience much side-to-side sway. However, you can find more comfortable options out there, including the cushy Toyota Corolla, while a Skoda Octavia is better at wafting down the motorway. 

For the K4 with the best ride, stick to the entry-level Pure and GT-Line trims. These have 16in and 17in wheels that are more cushioning than the 18in rims fitted to GT-Line S with the 1.6-litre engine (1.0-litre GT-Line S cars have 17in rims).

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

The K4 is indeed quiet. There’s some road noise if you opt for the 18in wheels – stick to the 16in and 17in ones if you can – but that’s about it. As for engines, the 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is more refined than the 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit, while also being quieter under acceleration.

Driving smoothly is very easy. We particularly like the brake pedal, which is strong and easy to modulate. It’s not grabby like the Peugeot 308’s.   

As we touched upon, there are two gearboxes available with the K4. The manual ‘box is easy to work with, even if it’s not as satisfyingly precise as the Leon’s. 

The automatic is good, too. While it’s not that quick to respond when you put your foot down, it’s slick and smooth in its shifts. That’s reassuring, considering the auto’ is your only option with our recommended engine.

“I was hoping it would feel lighter on its feet, but the K4’s ride and handling still feel pretty polished.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

The interior of the Kia K4 borrows a lot from the Kia EV4 electric car. As such, it looks rather snazzy and futuristic next to the more conservatively-styled interiors you’ll find in the Toyota Corolla and VW Golf.

As for interior quality, there’s black synthetic leather on the doors and dashboard, and GT-Line trims have contrasting white leather dotted around the place. Everything feels well screwed together, too. 

Still, the interior doesn’t feel quite as expensive as the Honda Civic’s, and you certainly won’t confuse your K4 for an Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

The driving position in the K4 is very comfortable. There’s plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel, meaning even the tallest of drivers should be able to find a suitable set-up. 

The view out is great, too. Forward visibility is good and the view out the back is decent, thanks to big rear windows and quarterlights. Every K4 gets rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

Is the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

Yes, very. There are easy-to-use, physical buttons for commonly used features such as heated seats, heated steering wheel and climate controls. There are also physical shortcut buttons for the infotainment system. The VW Golf, on the other hand, reduces these buttons to fiddly touch-sensitive controls or touchscreen icons. 

The K4’s touchscreen is intuitive and easy to use. The 12.3in display is a nice size, and the graphics are sharp and clear. The layout is simple and well organised, but reaching icons on the far left of the screen can be a stretch from the driver’s seat, making them hard to tap while driving. On the plus side, most of the icons are large and easy to see. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring also come as standard.

While the 5.3in climate control screen is within easy reach of the driver, being located between the touchscreen and digital driver’s display, it’s largely obscured by the rim of the steering wheel. This is also a problem in the Kia EV4.

“Entry-level Pure cars have a twin-spoke steering wheel and GT-Line cars have a three-spoke design. Personally, I found the latter nicer to hold.” – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

How much space does it have for people?

The Kia K4 has plenty of room up front, but what really makes it stand out is how much leg room there is in the back. There’s more than you get in a Toyota Corolla or VW Golf, and you can tuck your feet under the front seats if you really want to stretch out. Six-footers will have no issues here.

In terms of head room, while it’s not quite as impressive, those same six-footers will have a little bit of room to spare – even if they sit up straight. 

How much room does it have for luggage?

If boot space is a priority, you’ll want the 1.6-litre K4. It has 438 litres of boot space, while the 1.0-litre version has only 328 litres – that’s because of the mild hybrid tech stored under the boot floor. 

What’s more, the 1.0-litre also misses out on the 1.6-litre’s height-adjustable boot floor. You probably won’t miss the 1.6-litre’s extra space and practicality every day, but you might do on some occasions, such as big family holidays. 

For comparison, the Golf gives you up to 381 litres of boot space, while the Honda Civic gives you up to 415 litres. The Skoda Octavia remains the best in the class with a massive 600 litres.

The K4’s rear seats fold in the conventional 60/40 split, but there’s a handy ski hatch for passing through longer items. The Golf also has this feature, but the Civic doesn’t.

“100 litres is a lot of boot space to lose, purely for some mild-hybrid tech. I’m not sure it’s worth the sacrifice.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

On list price, the Kia K4 lines up well next to the Seat Leon, while the Toyota Corolla and VW Golf are more expensive buys. Our recommended K4 (the GT-line with 147bhp) pushes the price up considerably, but it still compares well with equivalent rivals. What’s more, it undercuts the Honda Civic’s starting price. 

PCP finance deals are a different story, unfortunately. As of writing, Kia’s subpar deposit contribution makes it the priciest option out of all those cars, including the Civic. 

And being efficient hybrids, the Civic and Corolla are going to be better on fuel. You’ll likely see mid-40mpg figures (with either the 1.0 or 1.6 engine), while you’ll easily see 50mpg and occasionally 60mpg from those rivals.

There is a full hybrid K4 on the way, but that’s quite literally all we know. There are no plans for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version, meaning you probably won’t be looking at the K4 if you’re a company car driver. 

When configuring your K4, you'll have three trims to choose from, with the entry-level trim called Pure. It comes with 16in alloy wheels, LED headlights, automatic windscreen wipers and a six-speaker sound system. It’s only available with the 1.0-litre engine. 

GT-Line gets 17in wheels and more luxuries, such as heated front seats, metal pedals, privacy glass in the rear, and a wireless phone charger. This is our trim of choice, mainly because you can get it with the 1.6-litre (147bhp) engine. 

Range-topping GT-Line S has a heated steering wheel, heated outer rear seats, ventilation for the front seats, artificial leather upholstery and an eight-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system. Choose the 1.0-litre engine and 17in wheels are fitted, but go for the 1.6-litre (177bhp) engine and there are 18in wheels instead. The 147bhp 1.6-litre engine isn’t available with the GT-Line S trim. 

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

We’ll have to wait and see how reliable the K4 proves to be, but we can tell you that Kia as a brand placed eighth out of 30 car makers in our 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey. That’s below Toyota but above VW. 

Kia’s warranty is also one of the best in the biz. Every model gets a seven-year (or 100,000-mile) warranty. The only brand which can top that is Toyota, with its 10-year, 100,000-mile service-activated warranty.

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

The K4 has yet to be safety tested by Euro NCAP, but it comes with plenty of safety kit, including automatic emergency braking (AEB). There’s plenty of standard security kit, too, such as a Thatcham category 2 security alarm and immobiliser. 

“Undercutting the ever-popular Golf is big news, and I think it’ll help the K4 stir the pot. Mind you, it’s not great on PCP.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Buy it if

- You’re happy with petrol power

- You need good interior and boot space

- You’re looking for a fresh face in the family car class

Don’t buy it if

- You want the absolute best handling/riding family car

- You’re after diesel, full hybrid or plug-in hybrid power

- You want the cheapest family car on PCP finance

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