This week I’ve been behind the wheel of a new entry into the sedan segment, something we haven’t seen a lot of as the automakers have been providing us with a Heinz 57 variety of SUVs lately. It is especially good to see a sedan that is affordable by today’s standards. The K4 is the sedan that took the place of the Kia Forte and competes with the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, and even its sister the Hyundai Elantra.
Exterior
The exterior looks of the K4 are terrific and at the same time, unusual. It appears to be larger than the competition and is, in fact, wider and longer than the Forte was.
It has a very sloping roofline, much like a hatchback, but it has an actual trunk. The rear fenders flare out and it has attractive 18” black alloy wheels that look great with the Morning Haze paint, a hue that is super popular amongst all brands of cars.
The rear door handles are sort of hidden just above the beltline, level with the rear passenger door window.
My review vehicle is the GT-Line Turbo, which is the pinnacle of the K4 lineup. The models start with the $21,990 LX entry-level, then you go up to LXS, the EX, and finally the GT-Line.
Powertrain
Looking under the hood, you find a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that is turbocharged. It puts out 190-horses and 195-pound feet of torque. While that doesn’t sound like a lot, it moves very well and has great acceleration. It is mated to an 8-speed automatic with shift paddles. Be aware that the rest of the trim levels, including the regular GT-Line comes with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder and a CVT transmission that together put out just 147-horses. This car really needs the turbo in my opinion, so you have to look at the K4 GT-Line Turbo.
Interior
I was pleased with the first impressions of the interior. The SynTex two-tone seats in black with white accents are slightly bolstered, stitching is everywhere, and very nice soft-touch materials in contrast colors adorn the door panels and continue through the dash. What is actually three different screens appear as one giant one that runs well past the halfway point of the dash.
Hit the pushbutton start and the first of the two amazing 12.3” screens that houses the digital driver gauge cluster comes to life, welcoming you with a colorful and configurable info center in the middle. You can change it drastically from the settings on the steering wheel. At the bottom of the square wheel, you can change drives modes between sport and normal.
To the right of the gauge screen is another 12.3” screen that operates the Harmon Kardon sound system, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, the terrific rear cameras, SiriusXM, HD radio, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth, a ton of apps, and voice recognition. You can just say aloud “hey Kia” and AI will carry out many commands including making phone calls to specific people or change the temperature inside. This system works very well and is super-fast.
Between those two 12.3” screen is one 5” screen that is dedicated to the climate controls. It’s nice to be able to see that without taking your eyes off the road. I really like all three of the screens that appear to be one really large screen. That is something you’d expect in cars three times the price of this one.
The center console is terrific with 2-USB ports and a wireless phone charger. There are two adjustable cupholders there and an extra cubby for your toll tag or whatever. This is also where you activate the Auto Hold, engage the cameras, and turn on the hill descent control.
Moving to the back seat, leg and headroom are surprisingly good, I expected it to be tight, but the increased length of the K4 really shows up here. There are rear A/C vents, two more USB ports, and a fold down armrest with two cupholders. Going to the trunk there is 15 cubic-feet of room back there, and if you need more, the back seat will fold flat. Underneath the load floor, this car actually has a spare tire and wheel.
The K4 GT-line comes nicely-equipped with standard features like remote start, smart trunk that opens itself when you get close to it with the key on you, power driver’s seat, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, rear seat reminder, and much more.
When you move to the GT-Line Turbo, at no charge you get a power sunroof with sliding shade, LED front and rear lights, and LED fog lights, the upgraded sound system, and the alloy wheels.
This one has the $2,200 Technology Package, which is a memory seat for the driver, air conditioned front seats, parking collision avoidance and distance sensors, highway driving assistant (semi-self-driving system) surround view monitor, blind spot monitor, and ambient lighting.
Safety
Safety-wise, it has cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, rear seat alert if anything or anyone is left in the back and safe exit warning.
Note that the blind spot system not only shows in your mirrors, but you get a full side view of the road behind you when you use the blinkers. Both side views show up on the gauge cluster, directly in front of you, depending on which direction you are switching to. Very impressive and helpful.
Fuel economy is 26 city and 36 highway, and 29 combined. Total MSRP as you see it here is $31,445 and frankly, it’s amazing you can get this much car at that price.
I like the way it rides and drives, handling is good, and acceleration is fine, even for me. I will note that the K4 sits fairly low to the ground, so if you have back issues, it may not be easy to get in and out for you, but once you get comfortable behind the wheel, there is a lot to love about this sedan.
To view a slideshow visit CarPro.com.