The automotive industry is dominated by crossover SUVs. But there are still some manufacturers producing compact cars. The latest to get back into producing cars is Kia with their new K4. So where does this Forte replacement stack up among the others?
Performance
Engine – The 2025 Kia K4 is available with two engine options. There’s a naturally aspirated 2.0L 4-cylinder engine or a 1.6L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. This EX trim has the former. The 2.0L engine produces 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque (110 kW & 179 Nm). Those power figures don’t sound like much in a vehicle tipping the scales at 1,384 kg (,3,051 lbs), and indeed they’re not. In certain situations, such as overtaking a slower moving vehicle, you have to have some patience and a heavy right foot. The engine needs to be revved in order for it to produce torque and power. Having said that, it doesn’t feel that slow in city traffic. The car can set off from a stop at the same pace as every other car or crossover SUV on the road without the engine needing to bounce off the rev limiter. On highways, it’ll keep up with the flow of traffic just fine. It’s only when needing a burst of acceleration does this car feel slow.
One interesting characteristic that I’ve noticed is that this engine has almost no engine braking. Every time I took my foot off the throttle pedal, I was expecting the car to slow down and feel the deceleration. But the car kept its momentum going for longer than I was expecting. Because of this, I found myself using the brake pedal more that I normally would.
Fuel Economy – With this naturally aspirated engine, the 2025 Kia K4 is rated for 8.4 L/100km (28 MPG) in a city and 6.0 L/100km (39.2 MPG) on a highway. These numbers are believable as I’ve noticed on highways my average consumption quickly dropping but in city traffic, the exact opposite happened. As a result of mostly city driving, I averaged 7.8 L/100km (30.1 MPG) during my time with the car.
Transmission – The 2.0L engine is paired with a CVT or IVT as Kia calls it; Intelligent Variable Transmission. In everyday driving situations, this transmission behaves just like any other CVT. It will bring the engine’s rpms to a set point until the desired speed is reached or until the driver eases off on the throttle, then the engine’s rpms drop for better fuel efficiency. When pressing the throttle harder, this transmission will mimic a traditional automatic with “gear shifts”. There are 8 in total and the driver can select them by using the gear selector. There are no paddle shifters on this EX trim of the K4.
Braking – The brakes of the 2025 Kia K4 are a little on the soft side but they provide an adequate amount of force to bring the car to a stop in a reasonable distance. The brake pedal has quite a bit of travel however it allows for smooth stops.
Handling – The 2025 K4 is not a particularly enjoyable compact car to drive. It has MacPherson struts on the front and torsion beam suspension on the back. The GT-Line trims with the turbo engine have upgraded multi-link rear suspension. But overall, the suspension allows for more body roll through corners than the Mazda 3, the steering is direct but numb in feel and the steering effort is light. It’s an easy car to drive but not a particularly enjoyable one.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – The ride of the 2025 Kia K4 is about average for this class. The suspension does a decent job of isolating the cabin from moderately sized bumps but bigger ones will be felt through the seat. As for the seats, the cushion is plush for a wide range of body types but I found the bolsters of the backrest to be digging into my back a bit.
Interior Space – The interior of the new Kia K4 is about as big as that of the Honda Civic. But despite what it says on the spec sheet, the interior of the Kia K4 feels a little bit smaller than the Civic’s. This is most evident in the rear seats. For my 6’4” height behind my driving position, my knees are up against the back of the front seat and sadly, the back is made out of hard plastic instead of soft fabric or leather. Headroom is also tight with my hair brushing against the headliner. Thankfully, the front seats are spacious for someone as tall as me.
In the trunk the Kia K4 has 413 L (14.5 cu-ft) of cargo space which is about the same as the Honda Civic. The rear seats can be folded 60/40 and there is a spare wheel under the trunk floor.
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – The cabin of the Kia K4 is quite noisy. Wind noise is not too bad on highways but road noise from the tires is very prevalent. Additionally, the engine is a screamer, but not in a good way, when you need to accelerate quickly.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – The 2025 Kia K4 is one of the less expensive compact cars on the market. It starts at $23,995 CAD ($21,990 USD) for the LX trim with this EX trim costing an additional $2,500 CAD ($2,000 USD). A fully loaded GT-Line Turbo is $34,495 CAD ($28,090 USD) which is still less expensive than some other top spec trims of other compact cars.
Gadgets – This EX trim of the Kia K4 is not very well equipped but it has just the right set of convenience features. In the Canadian market, it has heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a wireless phone charging pad, a backup camera, wireless Apple CarPlay & wireless Android Auto connectivity, cloth upholstery, manually adjustable climate controls, push button start and keyless entry.
Moving up in the trims will add features such as heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate controls, power sunroof, synthetic leather upholstery, and Harmon/Kardon sound system.
Interior Design – The interior design of the Kia K4 follows today’s design trends with a dual-screen layout. The infotainment screen measures 12.3” diagonally while the driver display is actually just the center portion that is a screen. The orange bars that climb to either side, along with the speed and tachometer readouts, are illuminated from the back. On higher trims, the driver display becomes a full-size screen as well. In front of the driver is a dual-spoke steering wheel which looks odd but it has simple to use physical buttons and knobs. The climate controls are equally simple to use and I particularly like the center console cup holders. At the push of a button, they can be deployed or they can be stowed for a small storage space. Another odd design element is the choice of colors on the dashboard and doors. On the passenger side, they’re grey. On the driver’s side, they’re black. Overall, the K4’s interior is quite monotone with the selection of grey and black pieces but it is very simple to use.
Exterior Design – The K4’s exterior is a breath of fresh air. It has a unique design that will easily stand out in a crowded parking lot. From the side, it looks a bit disproportionate somehow, but from the front and back it looks amazing. I particularly like the boomerang style front amber daytime running lights.
Safety – The base LX trim comes equipped with a lot of safety & driver aids but if you want to have every feature available on the K4, you’ll have to move up to the GT-Line Limited. In addition to features such as automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane follow assist and 8 airbags, moving to the EX trim will add blind spot sensors and rear cross traffic alert. Moving to the GT-Line adds Highway driving assist and on the GT-Line Limited you’ll get forward collision avoidance 2, highway driving assist 2, parking collision avoidance assist rear, surround view monitor, and blind spot view monitor.
Warranty – In Canada, the 2025 Kia K4 is covered by a 5 year / 100,000 km new vehicle and powertrain warranty. In the United States, the basic warranty is 5 years / 60,000 miles and the powertrain warranty is 10 years / 100,000 miles. For more information on Kia’s Canadian warranty, click here. For Kia USA warranty information, click here.
Conclusion – The new 2025 Kia K4 is not quite on the same level as the Honda Civic. I’d still say that is the best overall compact car on sale today. Nor is this car as much fun to drive as the Mazda 3. But the Kia K4, like many other Kia models, provides value for your money that other competitors can’t match.
Thank you to Kia Canada for providing the vehicle. www.Kia.ca
2025 Kia K4 Gallery
