2025 Kia K4 First Drive: Excellent Proof That Sedans Are Far From Dead

You’d think by now, in a world dominated by crossover SUVs, that compact sedans like the Kia K4 would’ve died off by now. But they haven’t and Kia’s one of the few automakers that continues to prove they’re still in demand. The K4 is the South Korean automaker’s latest replacement for the aging Forte.

The outgoing Forte often got overlooked, overshadowed by the traditional competition in the segment from Japan. But for those who gave it the light of day realized that the Forte brought a lot to the table. While it might’ve been considerably cheaper than all the competition by several thousands, it didn’t compromise on any aspect that made for a great compact sedan. It offered tons of standard equipment, upscale looks, mature road-going manners, and practical space for up to five adults and their things.

With such strong value, that meant Kia had its work cut out for them for its successor. Does the K4 deliver? I flew to Austin, Texas to find out.

2025 Kia K4 First Impressions

The first thing you’ll notice about the K4 versus the Forte is, well, you’ll actually notice it. The previous Forte was a handsome and well-proportioned vehicle that sometimes exuded a slightly more upscale and sophisticated vibe than its rivals. Though some would argue it was forgettable. The K4 on the other hand, is the complete opposite.

Firstly, it is considerably longer and wider than the Forte, despite riding on the same platform. There’s also a new fastback-like roofline inspired by the larger K5. It’s all complemented by very eye-catching details, including the falling LED taillights and front turn signals—a signature of Kia’s latest design language—pronounced wheel wells, a wider shoulder line, and uniquely shaped C-pillars. In short, the K4 is very distinctive and there’s no way you’re mistaking it for any other generic compact sedan in its class.

Exterior Dimensions

Driving Impressions And Performance

So, the new K4 emanates the vibe of a new, hip, and even sporty compact sedan. Is it? Us journalists sampled two versions of the top-spec GT-Line models, one with the base engine and one with the turbo upgrade. Gone is the extra-sporty GT model that picked fights with the Volkswagen Jetta GLI and the Honda Civic Si.

The previous Forte was civil and excellent to drive, though it was balanced more with comfort in mind than performance. Hardly a pudding in the corners, it didn’t feel as focused and sharp as, say, an equivalent Civic. Forte GT with its sport-tuned suspension notwithstanding. But the non-GT Forte still felt like a driver’s car, just one that prioritized effortlessness and ease of maneuverability.

The K4’s experience improves upon the Forte’s considerably, feeling a lot sprightlier, planted, and composed when changing directions. It instills greater confidence as you enter bends at greater speeds, even with its modest eco-biased all-season tires. A Civic may arguably still be more driver focused. But the gap between the two appears a lot smaller than with the Forte. A surprising feat considering the K4’s cost-cutting coupled torsion beam axle rear suspension, compared to a pricier and more complex multi-link setup.

Despite growing in size, the K4 weighs about the same as the outgoing Forte GT with its six-speed manual, or around 2,900-3,000 pounds. And overall, it’s very apparent that the K4 benefited from the expertise of BMW M’s former chief engineer, Albert Biermann, who’s still on Kia’s advisory board for chassis and suspension tuning.

Braking And Acceleration

The Forte’s two powertrains carry over to the K4, but with a few updates. Base motivation remains a naturally-aspirated 147-horsepower 2.0-liter gasoline four-banger with 132 pound-feet and an Intelligent Variable Transmission (Kia speak for continuously variable transmission). The optional upgrade, available only on the GT-Line Turbo, is the old Forte GT’s 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline four-pot. However, a new conventional torque converter eight-speed automatic replaces the previous combo’s dual-clutch auto.

To compensate for the new cog swapper, the 1.6L produces slightly fewer horses at 190 versus the Forte GT’s 201, though torque remains unchanged at 195 lb-ft. The 2.0’s acceleration is still leisurely, but acceptably on par with equivalent rivals. And although mated to a CVT, Kia’s engineers employed some brilliant tuning as the K4’s unit doesn’t feel like a CVT at all, but rather a nicely-tuned dual-clutch auto.

The 1.6L Turbo, however, is still where the party’s at. With a smartphone handy and my driver partner’s classic butt-o-meter primed, the Turbo sprinted to 60 MPH in about seven seconds, with the 2.0L trailing behind at around eight. The clamps also feel more than adequate for daily and even some spirited driving.

• Acceleration 0-60 MPH: 8.0 Seconds (2.0L); 7.0-7.2 Seconds (1.6T)
• Top Speed: 124 MPH (2.0L, Manufacturer Claimed); 130 MPH (1.6L, Manufacturer Claimed)

Performance Specifications

2025 Kia K4 Fuel Economy

The Environmental Protection Agency rates the K4 as capable of up to 29 miles per gallon in the city, 39 highway, and 33 combined for the 2.0L. Figures drop to 26 city, 36 highway, and 29 combined for the 1.6L. Both are on par with the competition.

In practice, the trip computer on the 2.0L registered an average of around 31-33 mpg, while the 1.6L turbo hovered around 28-29 mpg. Both were with some lead-footed driving and in a mixture of city, but mostly highway and open-road driving around the Austin area, with distances totaling around 60-80 miles on two separate legs.

Interior Design And Comfort

Like on some higher end Kia models, a dual-screen dashboard layout and angular design replaces the Forte’s conventional analog gauge cluster and rounded shapes. Despite the digitization of the driver information and infotainment displays, and the HVAC controls, Kia designers retained some physical buttons for temperature, menu, and volume controls.

The overall result is a cleaner and more modern appearance than the Forte. But the simplification of the dashboard, thankfully, doesn’t affect ergonomics to any major detriment.

Some said the Forte’s seats were a bit flat and lacking in comfort. However, neither my drive partner nor I had anything to complain about in the K4. Overall interior space grows slightly over the Forte, resulting in an airier cabin feel. Low noise, vibration, and harshness levels and commendable general refinement make the K4 a pleasant place to be if you plan on spending a lot of time on the road. And altogether, the K4 just feels far better built and substantial than any of its competitors, with solid choice of materials and build quality.

Interior Dimensions

Technology And Cargo Space

Only the base LX gets a smaller 4-inch cluster display, but all others benefit from dual ultra-wide 12.3-inch units for both the driver info and infotainment screen. The result is a lot of screen real estate, something you’d expect from a more expensive vehicle. But like the Forte and other Kias, the standard equipment levels are outstanding, even with the base LX.

In addition to the usual standard air-con, USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, you also get lots of safety tech. This includes haptic steering warning, forward collision mitigation with automatic braking, lane-keep assist, lane-follow assist, automatic high beams, driver attention warning, and a high-definition backup camera. Hop up to the LXS and tech roster adds blind-spot detection, rear-cross traffic alert, exiting alerts, and even radar-guided cruise control with automatic stop-and-go.

And the value increases exponentially on the mid-range EX and especially with our GT-Line test mules. The former and latter gain dual-zone automatic climate control, an optional Harmon/Kardon premium sound system (standard on GT-Line Turbo), more USB ports, wireless charging, KIA AI Voice Assistant (GT-Line/GT-Line Turbo), and heated seats. Ventilated seats are optional on both GT-Line variants.

At the back and on paper, the K4 does lose some space in the storage department compared to the Forte, presumably from the fast-back design. But it didn’t appear overwhelmingly smaller and 60/40 fold-down rear seats are still standard.

2025 Kia K4 Vs. Its Competitors

The Kia K4 continues the Forte’s battles in the compact sedan space where it last left off. This includes the Honda Civic, Volkswagen Jetta, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, and Mazda3 sedan. The K4 at launch takes the title as the newest of the bunch, with the latest design and the most bang-up-to-date technology.

Proving That Compact Sedans Are Far From Dead And Irrelevant

Society may be obsessed with SUVs. But compact sedans like the K4 continue proving that the breed still has a lot to offer, providing just as much value, features, and driving enjoyment. The K4 itself picks up where the Forte last left off, improving on its already compelling formula to make for an even better and cooler contender. Value remains the K4’s major play thanks to its outstanding levels of standard tech, an overall premium feel, and respectable road-going mannerisms, even at the base model’s starting price of under $22,000.

Cheap build quality, and lack of comfort and refinement have always stigmatized compact sedans. But like its predecessor, the K4 puts that stigma to rest, feeling far more like a premium vehicle than its very affordable price suggests, especially at the GT-Line’s top-spec sub-$30,000 MSRP. It ultimately shows that having to go cheap and affordable doesn’t have to ultimately compromise on tech, features, and a pleasant driving experience.