My right hand grabbed the door handle—covered in lovely soft-touch material—while my left hand clutched the seat belt across my chest. My driving partner jabbed the brakes and sawed at the K4’s squircular steering to make way for the SUV bearing down on us, with no shoulder or runoff to provide an escape.
| Quick Specs | 2025 Kia K4 GT-Line |
| Engine | 2.0-Liter Four-Cylinder |
| Output | 147 Horsepower / 132 Pound-Feet |
| Fuel Economy | 30 City / 40 Highway / 34 Combined |
| Base Price / As Tested | $26,345 / $28,345 |
Just like that, it was over. The K4 squeezed past, while the RAV4 whipped around the corner and out of sight. Even in such extreme (and terrifying) circumstances, the K4 was utterly composed, saving us from a potentially life-threatening situation. Thankfully, the rest of the drive route Kia had selected for us through central Texas was less eventful.
Much of that credit for the quick maneuvering goes to the GT-Line’s sport-tuned multi-link rear suspension and Kia’s front SFD3 valve shock absorbers, which kept the car compliant as we avoided the oncoming car. It easily soaked up the various road imperfections throughout the rest of the route, too.
But the GT-Line isn’t even K4’s sportiest trim. The naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a continuously variable transmission makes just 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. It never felt underpowered, even with some moderate pedal inputs on the highways outside Texas’s capital, but it wasn’t exactly quick.
Pros: Lots of Standard Technology, Efficient, Quiet
Clearly, though, the K4 tuned for efficiency over fun, getting up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway. Sport mode helps liven up the experience with tighter steering and improved throttle response, but the car is still eager to remind you that there’s still a CVT between the engine and wheels.
That’s why the GT-Line Turbo exists. That version of the K4 has a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission that, with Sport mode engaged, hangs the gearing at the top of the rev range and allows the driver to take full advantage of the 190 hp and 193 lb-ft of torque.
The Turbo model is quicker than its non-turbo counterpart, but not fast. The K4 GT-Line Turbo is fun and engaging at normal speeds, with a lot of low-end grunt—but power falls off pretty quickly once you’re higher in the rev range. There’s a bit more buzz reverberating through the cabin, too, but the acoustic glass and tires do a good job keeping the interior—which Kia packs with tech—quiet.
The GT-Line with the Premium Pack and Turbo I drove came with all the goodies, including ventilated front seats in the top-spec model and three screens: Two 12.3-inch displays for the gauges and infotainment, and a third shoved between them showing the climate info. But even the standard list of features is long and compressive, including wireless Apple Car and Android Auto.
Cons: Polarizing Design, CVT, Still Small
Thankfully, the K4 still has real switches for the HVAC system below a split row of buttons that control the infotainment display, including a volume knob. But the positioning of the wheel obscures most of the screen for the driver, which is a shame because it looks cool. At least the passenger can see it.
The K4 is longer and wider than the Forte it replaces, and a lot of that added space goes to the rear-seat occupants. Kia claims the new sedan has class-leading space in the back, with 38.0 inches of rear legroom and 37.3 inches of headroom. I had plenty of space sitting behind the driver seat adjusted for myself, but taller front-seat occupants will easily eat into that space, pushing the plastic-back front seats into your knees.
Despite its growth, the K4 is still a compact sedan, which means it suffers from some of the downfalls of this segment in general. The door handle I grasped onto as I braced for impact felt nice, but it was next to black plastic that surrounded the window and lock switches. It didn’t feel cheap, but it was far from premium.
Kia spent the money in the right spots, and while there is still plenty of plastic throughout, it allows the company to add the technology today’s young car buyers want. The acoustic glass and tires can create a sense of luxury and help hide the places where Kia needed to be mindful of costs, but most buyers likely won’t upgrade to these options.
The K4 has big screens, wireless connectivity, a compelling suite of standard safety features (eight airbags, lane-keep assist, forward collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic alert, and more), and it’s efficient. Heated seats are available in the GT-Line, which starts at $26,345 (the price includes the $1,155 destination charge). That’s a lot of the good stuff for not a lot of money. It’s a package that should entice the younger buyers it’s hoping to attract, who are more interested in features than performance.
The one thing that could turn off potential buyers is the design. The rear of the roof, the C-pillar—where Kia hides the rear door handle—and the rocker have this paper-like fold in the sheet metal that looks a tad disjointed from certain angles.
The full-width taillight element bookended by the vertical lights pushed to the corners gives the sedan a wide stance that makes the car look lower than it is, thanks to the black classing along the bottom. Its best angle is the rear, especially with those subtle double-bubble creases at the back of the roof. Designers absolutely killed it with the back end of this car.
If the four-door design is too much, don’t worry, a five-door version will arrive in the US late next year. It replaces the funky fold with a more traditional floating roof design that should make for an even roomier rear seat.
You’ve likely already seen the new K4 on the road; Kia began selling them a few months ago. But the company has only been building lower trims of the compact sedan thus far. The GT-Line and GT-Line Turbo are just now starting to reach dealers—and if you want something a little more zest, both of those models are worth the wait.
Competitors
- Honda Civic
- Hyundai Elantra
- Mazda3
- Nissan Sentra
- Toyota Corolla
- Volkswagen Jetta
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