- Kia revealed more specs and details for the 2025 K4 compact sedan.
- It offers a 2.0-liter inline-four on base models and a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four on the GT-Line Turbo trim.
- It will go on sale in the second half of 2024 in the U.S.
After showing the first images of the distinctively styled 2025 Kia K4 compact sedan, Kia is now revealing a lot more about this replacement for the Forte. The new K4 is a bit larger than its predecessor, offers new features, and comes with mostly carryover powertrains. It will hit U.S. dealerships in the second half of this year and offers five trim levels, including LX, LXS, EX, GT-Line, and GT-Line Turbo.
The lower trims have the same powertrain as the Forte, a 147-hp 2.0-liter inline-four and a continuously variable automatic transmission. The GT-Line Turbo comes with a turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four like the old Forte GT, but this combination is slightly different in the K4. Here, it makes 190 horsepower, a drop of 11 horsepower compared with before. The sedan also swaps the previous six-speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions for a conventional torque-converter eight-speed automatic; similar to the powertrain swap for the 2024 Seltos crossover.
The K4 measures 185.4 inches long and 72.8 inches wide, increases of nearly three inches in length and two inches in width compared with the Forte. Kia says this provides more rear legroom than the Forte, but the trunk is slightly smaller than before. The photos of the U.S.-spec car seen here show the GT-Line trim with 18-inch wheels and other sporty-looking trim pieces. Similar to the Forte, which offered a torsion-beam rear suspension on lower models and a multilink rear suspension on the GT, Kia reserves the more sophisticated setup to the K4’s GT-Line trims.
In the higher trims, the interior is particularly screen-heavy, combining a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with a 12.3-inch central infotainment touchscreen and a smaller 5.0-inch screen that operates the climate controls. Wireless smartphone mirroring is standard even on the base model, and available options include heated and ventilated front seats, a Harman Kardon audio system, a digital key that allows you to use your smartphone to unlock the car, and many driver-assistance features.
Kia says the K4 will go on sale in the U.S. in the second half of this year, and we expect it to carry a slightly higher starting price than the Forte, which starts at $21,145.
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.