2025 Kia K4 First Drive Review

Kia's new compact might be entry level, but it looks and drives like a premium sedan.

Perry Stern | 

Feb 12, 2025 | 5 min read

Perry Stern

The 2025 Kia K4 takes its place as the brand's entry-level car, but it doesn't feel that way. Replacing the Forte in the Kia lineup, the new K4 compact sedan delivers a premium cabin, advanced safety features, and excellent driving dynamics while remaining one of Kia's lowest-priced offerings.

Already on sale, the K4 is one of two sedans offered by the Korean brand, joining the midsize K5. Larger in almost every dimension than the Forte, the K4 has a roomy interior and a fresh, upscale look. Kia offers the K4 in five trim levels, including LX, LXS, EX, GT-Line, and GT-Line Turbo, and prices range from the low $20,000s to the high $20,000s.

It was an unexpected pleasure to drive the new Kia K4. The cabin has a high-tech vibe with intuitive controls, and the seats are comfortable for long stints. With its low starting price and available turbocharged engine, the new K4 is a nice step up from the outgoing Forte.

Perry Stern

What's New With the 2025 Kia K4

The 2025 K4 features a fresh design with vertical LED headlights, signature running lights, and a slim grille for a high-end look. It is also longer and wider than its predecessor, which gives the small sedan a broader stance and translates to more interior space — especially rear-seat legroom, which grows by more than 2 inches.

All K4s feature a digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with an updated design and a faster processor for quicker input response. Wireless connections to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also standard on every K4.

With its sleek roofline, the K4 looks like a hatchback, but it is a proper sedan with a trunk that can handle a generous 14.6 cubic-feet of cargo. The rear seats offer 60/40 split-folding capability (except on the K4 LX), providing additional versatility.

Perry Stern

The K4 features revised versions of the two engines used in the outgoing Forte. A 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is standard, making 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque; it's paired with a continuously variable transmission. The GT-Line Turbo is the only K4 with a more powerful turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine supplying 190 horses and 195 lb-ft of torque. While that's less than the previous Forte GT, a new eight-speed automatic transmission improves responsiveness.

According to the EPA, Kia K4s with the 2.0-liter engine get an estimated 34 mpg in combined driving, while the turbocharged version only drops off by one mpg. During my drive in the GT-Line Turbo, the trip computer showed an impressive 34.6 mpg.

Perry Stern

The 2025 Kia K4 Is Delightful to Drive

For this K4 review, Kia provided me with a GT-Line Turbo in Austin, Texas. My test vehicle featured the Technology Package, bringing the manufacturer's suggested retail price to $31,445, including the $1,155 destination charge to ship the sedan from its assembly location in Pesqueria, Mexico. Kia also paid for airfare, lodging, and meals during the evaluation period.

While I wouldn't call the K4 GT-Line Turbo a performance car, it offers good power with a smooth-shifting automatic transmission and a sport-tuned suspension, making it much more enjoyable to drive than I expected. Acceleration is decently quick from a stop, and passing slower cars on a two-lane back road was no cause for concern. Power is less usable at higher speeds — while the K4 has no problem getting up to 70 mph, the response to requests for acceleration at that speed is considerably slower.

The K4 was most fun when driving along the winding country roads north of Austin. The steering responds quickly, and the suspension keeps the small sedan stable, even when tackling tight corners. I also had the opportunity to drive the non-turbo GT-Line, and while it's not as quick, the excellent driving dynamics are still evident.

Perry Stern

Advanced Technology for Information, Entertainment, and Safety

All K4s come standard with emergency braking technology that detects pedestrians and cyclists and can apply the brakes if an oncoming vehicle is detected while turning left. Adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist are also standard, but the optional Highway Drive Assist 2 (HDA 2) combines them for semi-autonomous driving on select limited-access highways. With HDA 2, the K4 will also automatically change lanes when you activate the turn signal, but this is not a hands-free system — the driver must keep a hand on the wheel.

While you've got your hands on the wheel, you can use the new Kia AI Assistant as long as your Kia Connect subscription is active. Standard on the GT-Line variants, the AI Assistant responds to "Hey, Kia" and uses in-depth information to provide conversational responses. For example, I asked what there was to do in Austin over the weekend, and it came back with a range of activities and could even tell me what weather to expect. The system can also access the owner's manual to answer vehicle-based queries.

Perry Stern

Setting a High Bar for Compact Sedans

The 2025 Kia K4 substantially improves over the outgoing Forte while demonstrating that an entry-level sedan can be more than just basic transportation. It may be one of the lowest-priced new cars in the United States, but the K4 delivers a stylish new look, a roomy, modern cabin, two fuel-efficient powertrains, and an enjoyable time behind the wheel.

Although the K4 is unlikely to sell as well as established models such as the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla, Kia is offering a remarkable contender for this class. It may surprise you as much as it surprised me.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Perry Stern

As a small child, Perry was constantly playing with toy cars and trucks, and that enthusiasm for anything motorized with wheels never faded. After college, he moved to Seattle and began his long automotive career working in an automotive consulting firm, helping customers choose the right vehicle for their needs. In the late 1990s, Perry joined Microsoft to work on CarPoint, part of the new Microsoft Network (MSN). He went on to become editor of the site, remaining on staff for 20 years before venturing out on his own. Today, in addition to his work on Capital One Auto Navigator, he still contributes to MSN, as well as J.D. Power, TrueCar.com, and U.S. News & World Report. Perry lives in the small town of Dexter, Michigan, with his wife and dog, and he still smiles when he sees his 2006 Mazda Miata in the garage.