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 Toyota Corolla. 

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

The new K4 is due to go on sale later this year, but to weigh up its chances ahead of time, we paid a visit to Kia’s European HQ in Frankfurt, Germany. There, we were given special access to a pre-production prototype and were able to judge first-hand how well this new dog and its old tricks stack up.

How fast is it and which engine is best?

So far, we’ve driven the Kia K4 with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, and one that’s not quite production ready yet. We’re told the turbocharger will be replaced with a more responsive one – a good thing, considering the engine can feel like it needs half a second to wake up at times. 

Other than that, it’s a good engine. Acceleration is respectably punchy – its 147bhp allows for a 0-62mph time of 9.1sec – and there’s a 177bhp version if you’d like more grunt. We’ll let you know what that’s like when we’ve tried it, and it’s worth noting that the 1.6-litre engine (regardless of which power output you choose) is solely available with an automatic gearbox.

Speaking of other engines we’re yet to try, the entry-level K4 will be fitted with a mild-hybrid 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. On-paper acceleration is quite sedate – 0-62mph in 12.2sec if you choose the manual ‘box – but there’s another reason you might want to avoid it. We’ll get into that later. 

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

In the corners, the K4 is more competent than fun or super agile. If we’re to elaborate, the precise steering means the car is easy to place, and there’s plenty of front-end grip to rely on. There’s not much body lean either. All in all, the K4 feels safe, secure and confidence inspiring.  

The problem is the K4, at the end of the day, is a bit porky for a family car. It’s noticeably bigger and heavier than a VW Golf, for instance, and it can start to feel cumbersome as you push its limits.

This feeling of heaviness also affects the ride. It leans on the firmer side, feeling a tad lumpy at times. Naturally, our test car’s 18in wheels didn’t help — 16in and 17in wheels are also available. 

Now, its firm edge is a good thing in some respects: the ride is well controlled and it’s rare to experience any side-to-side sway. Regardless, the Golf is ultimately more comfortable, being more forgiving over lumps and bumps in the road. The Toyota Corolla is even better in this department.

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

The K4 is indeed quiet, with our only complaint being some road noise at higher speeds. It's worth reiterating that our test car rode on 18in wheels.

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. So far, we’ve only tested the automatic, but we found ourselves impressed by its responsiveness, as well as how quickly and smoothly it shifts. 

“I was hoping it would feel lighter on its feet, but the 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 some black synthetic leather on the doors and dashboard, and our GT-Line S prototype test car featured some contrasting white leather dotted around the place. Everything feels well screwed together, too. 

This is no luxury car, mind you, and it won’t take you long to find cheap-feeling plastics, especially lower down in the interior. In other words, you 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 largely comfortable, although taller drivers might find themselves wanting to position the seat lower than what’s possible. In other words, you might find yourself feeling a bit perched above the rest of the car. 

This does help give you a good view out, mind you. Forward visibility is good and the view out the back is pretty good too. 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 like heated seats, heated steering wheel and climate controls. The VW Golf, on the other hand, reduces these buttons to fiddly touch-sensitive controls or touchscreen icons. 

And when you do need to use the touchscreen in the K4, you’re in luck. The screen is a good size, at 12.3in, and the graphics are crisp. The layout is fairly intuitive and most of the icons are big and easy to hit. You also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring as standard.

Our only complaint relates to the small, 5.3in climate control screen, because it’s largely obscured by the rim of the steering wheel. This is also a problem in the EV4. 

“Being a low-slung hatchback, I wanted to feel nice and snug from behind the wheel. I didn’t really, because the seat doesn’t go that low.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

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, for instance when it comes time to load the boot for a big family holiday. 

Anyway, to add a bit of outside comparison into the mix, the Golf gives you up to 381 litres of boot space, while the Corolla gives you up to 361 litres. The Skoda Octavia remains the best in the class: its boot is massive, with a volume of 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 Corolla 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?

The Kia K4 is similarly priced next to the Seat Leon and Skoda Scala, but it still undercuts most of the competition, such as the Toyota Corolla and VW Golf. 

Being an efficient hybrid, the Corolla is going to be better on fuel. On our test route (which consisted mostly of country roads and motorways), the prototype 1.6-litre K4 averaged 42.8mpg. That’s respectable for a purely petrol family car, but you’ll easily see 50mpg from the Corolla. 

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 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. GT-Line gets 17in wheels and more luxuries, like heated front seats, metal pedals, privacy glass in the rear, and artificial leather upholstery.   

Range-topping GT-Line S gets 18in wheels, as well as a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, ventilation for the front seats, a wireless phone charger and an eight-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system.

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 – below Toyota but above VW. 

Kia’s warranty is one of the best in the biz. Every model gets a seven years or 100,000 miles of cover. Very few brands can beat that, although Toyota, with its 10-year/100,000 warranty, can. 

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.” – 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 class-leading comfort or handling

- You’re after a full hybrid or plug-in hybrid

- You like a low driving position

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