In a world dominated by SUVs, Kia Australia launched its K4 sedan in January on a media drive from Melbourne to Yarra Glen, 65km north-east of the CBD, with a pit stop and lunch at Levantine Hill Estate.
K4?
The nameplate aligns with the global alphanumeric naming convention for Kia’s small passenger car that replaces the popular Cerato, Australia’s second most popular seller in its segment after the Toyota Corolla in 2024.
Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith said the Cerato had been a “huge pillar” of Kia’s success in Australia since it was introduced in 2004, totalling 200,000 sales to date.
As far as sedans go — don’t yawn — the K4 is a slick offering. For a start, it’s longer, wider, heavier and lower than the Cerato, which all translates to more legroom, headroom and shoulder room.
In reality, it’s a big “small” car.
There are four variants: S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line.
Engines — a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder MPI (multi-point injection) and a 1.6-litre turbo GDI (gasoline direct injection), which is available only in the GT-Line — are the same as in the Cerato.
But you can’t really compare the Cerato GT, which was quite a performance-focused car, with the K4 GT-Line.
What Kia has done is reserve the GT designation for its high-performance models like, for example, the EV6 GT and EV9 GT.
A K4 hatchback, revealed globally as the K4 “five-door” at the same time as the sedan in March 2024, is due in Q4 (October-December). It’s expected to be available in a similar range of variants — and more popular than the sedan, with sales split 60/40 per cent, according to Kia Australia executives.
There’s no official word yet on a hybrid K4, but it’s understood to be in the works.
Additionally, an EV4 Concept sedan with quirky air-conditioning control panel that can be stored in the centre console when not in use was revealed by Kia Europe in 2023.
The lowdown
+ All variants are front-wheel drive.
+ Quoted outputs for the 2.0-litre petrol engine are 112kW of power at 6200 rpm and 192Nm of torque at 4000 rpm (this is the same as the MY24 Cerato), with a six-speed automatic transmission. Claimed fuel consumption 7.4 litres (combined) and quoted emissions are 167g/km (combined).
+ Quoted outputs for the 1.6-litre turbo engine are 142kW of power at 6000 rpm and 265Nm of torque at 1700-4500 rpm (the MY24 Cerato has 265Nm at 1500-4500 rpm), with an eight-speed automatic transmission (the MY24 Cerato has a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission). Claimed fuel consumption 6.7L (combined) and quoted emissions are 158g/km (combined).
+ Fuel tank capacity is 47L (the MY24 Cerato is 50L).
+ The S has 16-inch alloys; the Sport and Sport+, 17-inch alloys; the GT-Line, 18-inch alloys.
+ All variants come with a temporary spare steel wheel.
Safety and driver assistance
The K4 is yet to be ANCAP safety tested but, like the Cerato, may end up with a split rating because of the optional safety pack for the entry S variant.
It’s complicated.
There’s no point speculating at this stage, so look carefully at specs to make sure you’re getting exactly what you want.
But, certainly, even the S gets a more advanced AEB (autonomous emergency braking) system than the Cerato and is fully compliant with — and exceeds — mandatory new AEB regulations that come into effect in Australia from March 1, 2025.
Across all grades, the K4 has, as standard:
+ Seven airbags, including a front centre airbag
+ In-cabin driver monitoring camera
+ Forward collision-avoidance assist (it’s part of the AEB system)
+ Smart cruise control with stop-and-go function
+ Lane-keep assist
+ Lane-follow assist
+ Multi-collision braking
+ Blind-spot collision-avoidance assist
+ Driver-attention warning
+ Intelligent speed-limit assist
+ Rear-view monitor
+ High-beam assist
The optional safety pack ($2100) on the S variant adds features otherwise available on higher grades, namely:
+ An expanded AEB/forward-collision avoidance suite with junction turning and crossing and direct/oncoming lane-change detection function.
+ A panoramic display with second 12.3-inch instrument display and dedicated 5.0-inch air-con interface, plus dual-zone climate control.
Additionally, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line variants also have Kia’s latest Highway Driving Assist (HDA 2) technology with lane-change assist. Simply indicate and the car will autonomously change lanes if the coast is clear — but, really, you shouldn’t be driving if you can’t do this yourself.
Reinforced sound insulation and advanced high-strength steel — and, no, not all steel is the same; it all comes down to the alloy mix — accounts for 57.3 per cent of the cabin structure.
Additionally, front and rear seatbelts come with pre-tensioners.
What’s new?
The K4 is built at Kia’s Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, plant in Mexico, which began operations in 2016. It’s a dedicated assembly line for the automaker’s small internal combustion vehicles which are exported to more than 190 countries, including Australia.
Notably, the two-millionth vehicle to roll of the assembly line was a 2025 K4 sedan in May last year.
The idea is that it will free up capacity at Kia’s Hwaseong plant in South Korea for EVs — but will add about an extra month to shipping time.
At the moment, there’s about six weeks’ stock of Ceratos in Australia, with the the K4 scheduled to arrive within weeks, so the transition between models is expected to be fairly seamless.
The K4 is built on Hyundai-Kia’s new passenger car platform already used on the i30 sedan (Elantra/Avante), Kia Niro and Hyundai Kona that allows for a variety of powertrains.
It features a complete overhaul of its infotainment system, which uses the ccNC (connected car navigation cockpit) launched on the flagship EV9 and includes Kia Connect that gives you, among other things, vehicle tracking and status, weather and traffic information (note, the S trim does not include everything).
Any way you look at it, the K4 is a big step up from the Cerato, but you will have to get the optional safety pack on the S trim to make the most of the features.
Boot volume (508L) is six litres more than the Cerato — and 38L more than the Toyota Corolla.
All trims have remote engine start, USB-C outlets, over-the-air updates, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, but only the GT-Line gets a wireless charging pad and ambient mood lighting.
The entry S trim is a bit sparse in terms of fit-out — there are no rain-sensing wipers for a start.
It gets a digital driver cluster with a 4-inch multi-function LCD display, but you have to add the safety pack option, or move up to the other three grades to get the fancy dashboard with three screens, including a 12.3-inch digital cluster, a 5-inch climate control display and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen display, all in one integrated panel.
In a nod to sustainability, the interior finish includes various recycled plastics, bio PU (polyurethane) leather, bio paint, recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) yarns and recycled PET felt.
There’s a choice of eight colours. Apart from Clear White, they’re all “premium”— a $600 add-on. My favourite is Wave Blue, which is new. It’s gorgeous.
RRP K4 pricing
2.0L S: $30,590
2.0L S with Safety Pack: $32,690
2.0L Sport: $35,190
2.0L Sport+: $37,590
1.6L Turbo GT-Line: $42,990
Premium paint: $600
The drive
Kia Australia product planning analyst Alvin Ng said the GT-Line had been benchmarked against the likes of the Honda Civic Hybrid and Volkswagen Golf R-Line for a firm, compliant ride with “good rough road absorption”.
I drive the GT-Line, which comes with all the bells and whistles, from Melbourne to Yarra Glen (about 60km) and take the Sport out for 45 minutes (43km) on a series of impossibly winding roads through dense forest.
Yarra Glen back to Melbourne is in the Sport+.
Certainly, the GT-Line is the variant I would choose. It has a better finish all around and a tactile heated steering wheel that feels nice to hold.
Oh, it also has paddle shifters.
The Sport (and Sport+) steering wheel feels hard and plasticky.
But I do like the neat gear shifter in all variants.
Across the range, the K4 is comfortable and composed, with minimal road and wind noise, good visibility and clear rear-view cameras.
The difference in engine spec is obvious — the 1.6-litre turbo more spirited and torquier. But, get the 2.0-litre up to speed, say 80-100km/h, and it’s a smooth ride. Just don’t thrash the accelerator because you’ll be disappointed.
I turn lane assist off on marked winding roads in the Sport because it keeps trying to centre the car (which is what it’s designed to do), “pulling” on the steering wheel when I’d rather feel totally hands-on and in control.
Coming around a blind bend, there’s a motorbike veering on to the wrong side of the road.
Certainly, it’s not the sort of driving you’d be doing in the urban jungle.
Neither is the uneven stretch of unmarked road I do in the GT-Line that transfers every bump up through the wheels and chassis to make steering feel jittery.
Sure, steering “feel” is subjective and can be an elusive concept to describe.
Mr Gambold subsequently confirms the K4 has a column-mounted electric steering system with on-centre accuracy for typical highway driving.
Fuel consumption in both cars is thirstier than claimed in specs: the GT-Line averaging 7.8-8.0 litres/100km and the 2.0-litre averaging 8.3L/100km — but we do travel some challenging roads, so that needs to be taken into account.
K4 warranty and servicing
All Kias come with a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty and up to eight years of roadside assist when serviced at an authorised Kia dealership.
Preliminary service costs are as follows:
+ 2.0L Petrol, every 12 months/15,000km (up to 105,000km at seven years), whichever comes first, costing $303, $525, $392, $635, $341, $667 and $362.
+ 1.6L Petrol, every 12 months/10,000km (up to 70,000km at seven years), whichever comes first, costing $353, $564, $444, $677, $397, $711 and $731.
Australian Open sponsorship
Kia has been the major sponsor of the Australian Open since 2002, extending its support in 2023 to 2028 in a multi-million-dollar deal that draws talent from around the world.
The Australian Open ran for 15 days at Melbourne Park this year, with the K4 launch taking place mid-way through play — and, fortuitously, coinciding with the night match between world number one 23-year-old Jannik Sinner and Marcos Giron.
Sinner won and went on to the men’s singles final against world number two Alexander Zverev on January 26 to clinch his second consecutive Australian Open title and third Grand Slam.
Media and VIPs were treated to a lavish spread in the Kia Pavilion overlooking the Melbourne skyline and designed this year with an Italian theme, complete with alfresco, by sustainable event agency Frank Wild.
On call to transport players and guests, a 130-strong fleet of all-electric and hybrid vehicles, including the EV5, EV6, EV9, Carnival, Sorento and Sportage.
This was the first year that all Australian Open tournament vehicles were electrified as Kia showcased its technology in Melbourne Park with a series of displays, including:
+ The Kia Powerhouse at Grand Slam Oval with two displays showcasing three EV models — the flagship EV9, the EV5 and, in its Australian debut, the EV3.
+ The X-Ray Slider display revealing the inner workings of the EV9 and highlighting the energy flow through the battery platform.
+ In a nod to contemporary South Korean fashion and beauty trends, Kia Colour Match, developed in partnership with a Seoul-trained personal colour specialist, offered tennis fans the chance to discover their personalised colour profile based on eyes, skin tone, hair and key elements of their personality. From a choice of 12, including Bright Spring and Soft Summer, I was Deep Winter.
+ The updated EV6 was at the Kia Charge Up activation, showing off its vehicle-to-load functionality powering a series of phone charging lockers for fans to use.
+ The Kia Cool Room in Federation Square emulated the cooled (and heated) storage compartment in the EV5 GT-Line with a scaled-up model of the drawer built into the vehicle’s rear cabin.
Back to the nuts and bolts
The K4 has been in the production process for four years and fine-tuned for Australian roads (as are all Kias for specific world markets) in an extensive program over thousands of kilometres led by Kia Australia’s chief ride and handling consultant engineer Graeme Gambold, starting with testing at Kia’s global Namyang R&D Centre.
It’s a painstaking process that involves countless adjustments to suspension, damping and steering tunes along the way.
“We aimed to make it capable not only in the urban jungle but, also, refined on a long drive,” Mr Gambold said, adding the K4 “does a great job absorbing bumps around town” while controlling its body “well on challenging country roads” and “offering decent feedback”.
Ultimately, however, it is an urban car.
“Testing does take in thousands of kilometres, but it is more the hours involved,” Mr Gambold said. “It’s hours of changing parts and going back over things, making adjustments.
“We have mathematical formulas (at Namyang), but once we get to Australia we tend to park all that and it’s back to a subjective feel, so we fine-tune the valves and shock absorbers — pull them apart, maybe change one tune from three microns to three-and-a-half microns, then put everything back together, go dyno it — and drive the car again.
“You can’t put numbers on it.”
Mr Gambold said every production region had a different specification.
“If you look at the engineering specification for, say, the K4, you’ll find Europe, America (domestic) and Australia will have completely different shock absorber tunes … American cars are typically very soft and not very accurate; European cars are typically tight and accurate and we’re somewhere in between (but more) towards the European end,” he explained.
#Kia #sedan #slick #offering
