Kia’s K4 GT-Line Is No GT, But It’s Winning Where It Counts: Review

The compact car market isn’t what it used to be, but that hasn’t stopped a few standout models from making a serious impression. Among them, the Kia K4 has emerged as a surprise hit. For the Korean brand, it’s a case study in how thoughtful design and smart packaging can still win over buyers in a segment many have written off.

This is a small sedan with big personality. It takes styling cues and design elements from Kia’s larger models, like the EV9 and Sorento, and scales them down into something much more grounded – literally.

It represents the smallest sedan on sale from Kia and is one of the smallest cars available from the brand’s range, which includes the Seltos and Soul. Despite its diminutive size, it’s a smash hit with 63,970 sales in America from January 1 through all of May. That’s approximately 423 sales per day. 

No doubt, some of that comes from its low sub-$24,000 starting price. Our test car, the GT-Line Turbo, is as nice as it gets and has an MSRP of $31,445 after destination and handling. That’s on par with most rivals and sits within a few percent of the top and bottom prices of most. 

Read: Kia Is Done With Gas GT Performance Cars

That said, this little sedan is outselling the EV9, Niro, Soul, and K5 combined. During the first quarter, it outsold the Mazda 3, Toyota Prius, and Toyota Camry, and is way ahead of all of Volkswagen’s passenger cars added up. In short, it’s proving that small sedans can be a big hit even when they’re not named Civic. 

Quick Facts

How is it that such a small, somewhat strangely styled sedan/hatchback can be so popular? It’s not as if the K4 name has a rich history, and thus a strong following, after all. To find out, we tested one for a full week. We shuttled groups of adults in it, settled in for long highway miles, and piloted it around cityscapes to figure out what it was all about. In the end, there’s no denying: this is one competent little car worthy of every sale it makes. 

Styling

Photos Stephen Rivers / Carscoops

Let’s kick things off where most buyers meet the K4 first – its styling. We showed you the K4 before its official unveiling at the New York Auto Show and called it a design so strong that it made the outgoing Forte it replaced look weak. Dubbed ‘twist logic’ by Kia, the theme blends cues from different products and defies convention. 

The fenders are angular with hard creases. The lighting is sharp and up front and pays homage to the automaker’s ‘Tiger Nose’ grille treatment. The rear three-quarter view is dominated by a thick, aggressively vertical D-pillar and curt tail lights that mimic the front-end design. The rear overhang is gigantic, but this results in a benefit we’ll discuss later. 

Throughout the week of driving it, strangers and friends alike remarked about it. The design stands out. It feels futuristic, fresh, and engaging. Is it beautiful? No, but it does get noticed. Put shortly, this is a striking car that commands far more attention than its MSRP would have you believe. 

Power And Driving Impressions

Perhaps the only forgettable thing about the K4 is the way it drives. Our GT-Line Turbo trim sounds it should be fun, but in reality, it’s maybe the biggest miss of the modern Kia GT family. It makes 190 horsepower (141 kW) and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque from a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and sends it to the front wheels only via an eight-speed automatic. 

That combination isn’t too far afield of the Honda Civic Si, but it doesn’t feel anywhere close to that. The K4 is just far more numb and lazy from the driver’s seat. The chassis itself is fine. It handles quite flat through corners, it’s easy to see out of, and in manual mode, the transmission is quick to follow prodding from the paddle shifters. 

Sadly, outside of that aggressive setting, the K4 feels a bit dopey. The gearbox is very slow to change down, the throttle isn’t particularly crisp or reactive, and the steering is generally numb.

On the other hand, it’s easy to drive and the suspension is comfortable and not overly stiff. It’ll get you anywhere you need to go, and it’s easy to place in a lane or in a tight parking lot, but the whole experience is rather mundane unless you’re intentionally pushing it hard. 

More: Hatchbacks And Sedans Fight Back As Kia Challenges SUV Domination

While performance might not be the forte of the K4, fuel economy is a strong suit. Despite driving this little sedan with some gusto throughout the week, it achieved 29.2 mpg combined. That’s right in line with the EPA estimate of 29. Those who spend time on the highway more often can expect up to 33 mpg, while city-dwellers should achieve up to 26 mpg. 

Would Kia benefit from offering a hybrid version? Certainly, but it’s still working to build out the K4 ecosystem. It’ll probably happen down the line. 

Attention-Grabbing Interior

Photos Stephen Rivers / Carscoops

This is where the K4 makes its biggest impression, which is saying a lot given its exterior styling. The cabin isn’t what we’d call luxurious or lavish, but it’s an example of placing emphasis where it matters most.

Greeting occupants is an angular design full of personality. The steering wheel is semi-squared off. The spokes within it look almost aeronautical in nature. In the midst of the center spoke is a drive mode selector like you’d find on a proper high-end sports car. Are these gigantic shifts in design language? No, but they add a bit of character. 

The center console and dash continue the same theme of being interesting rather than basic. Occupants get access to a complete set of physical buttons and switches to control the climate. We are so happy to see Kia move away from its dual-personality HVAC/Media touch controller here. 

On top of that, the dash design itself is clean and attractive with an angular crease on the passenger side that mimics the exterior design. Even the seats have a pseudo futuristic appearance with two-tone upholstery and what look almost like floating headrests. Build quality throughout is good despite the fact that it’s clear that some of the materials aren’t exactly top-notch. 

The infotainment system and gauge cluster are the same dual 12.3-inch display setup we’ve seen time and time again in Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis products. As is the case in those other cars, the system is easy to navigate and intuitive, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity is standard and reliable. 

We especially like the blind-spot camera displays that pop up in the gauge cluster when the turn signal is on. The sound system is crisp but, despite eight Harman/Kardon speakers, it’s not as full or well-rounded as we’d like. Standard features we appreciate include adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and forward collision avoidance. 

The rear seats might be as big a story here as anything since they’re genuinely spacious. Three adults in the back might find shoulder and hip room a bit tight, but headroom and legroom are great. Carrying four adults in this car is a breeze over long distances. 

During our testing, we carried that many over 15-20 miles at a time without any complaints. Rear seat occupants get storage cubbies in each door and one small one between the front seats. Power ports and rear seat ventilation are also standard on the GT-Line. 

Finally, let’s talk about cargo space because the K4 is among the leaders here. The long overhang we mentioned earlier contributes in a large way. It helps the K4 offer 15 cubic feet of storage without sacrificing cabin space. 

In fact, it allows the Kia to match Honda’s Civic in terms of cargo volume while offering slightly more headroom and legroom in the back seat, too. In addition, the rear seats fold down to provide even more cargo flexibility. A real space-saver spare sits beneath the load deck. 

Competition

The biggest competition in this space is the Honda Civic. In terms of sales, it’s the far and away winner, hitting triple digits already this year. Frankly, it’ll be hard for any brand to kick Honda off the top rung here. The Civic is a household name, and Honda has used that reputation to the fullest. 

It certainly helps that i’s available with a humble 2.0-liter gas-only engine, a hybrid setup, or even in super-hot Type-R guise. Pricing is similar to the K4, and Honda offers both a sedan and a hatchback, giving buyers more options. Put simply, the Kia has a lot of work to do to meet and beat Honda at what is essentially its own game at this point. 

It’s also worth noting that the Toyota Corolla offers many of the same benefits one will get with the Civic. The Nissan Sentra is a sneaky entry here, too, and, through the first quarter, was outselling the K4. There’s reason for hope if you’re a Kia fan, though. As we already outlined at the outset, the K4 is selling incredibly well. Mazda, Volkswagen, and Subaru are far behind. 

Before disembarking, we need to highlight the warranty coverage. No question, Kia and Hyundai Motor Group have at times garnered criticism for their warranty practices. Nevertheless, a 10-year powertrain warranty on the powertrain means that buyers should have a high degree of confidence in the K4. 

On top of that, the entire car gets a five-year or 60,000-mile limited warranty. Nobody in this market, save for sister brand Hyundai, comes anywhere close to that. Some, like Honda, do offer complimentary maintenance, so that’s worth considering. That said, the value proposition available in the K4 is very hard to beat. 

Final Thoughts

The K4 has done its part in putting small sedans back on the map. It’s a comprehensive offering aimed squarely at modern drivers with the things they seem to value most. Over 400 buyers a day on average this year proves that point. Here’s to hoping that the K4 Wagon helps kick off a revival of that form, too, though with that bodystyle being much less desirable among customers, we don’t expect it to be such a big sales hit. 

Photos Stephen Rivers / Carscoops