Kia K4 Review & Prices

The K4 is Kia’s all-new hatchback, built to replace the old Ceed and XCeed models. It’s a sharp-looking thing with a spacious boot, but you can’t get it as a plug-in hybrid, which is a bit of a shame for company car drivers.

It’s about the same size as a Volkswagen Golf and Toyota Corolla, but cheaper than either option. You’ll likely cross-shop it against a Vauxhall Astra, or even a small SUV such as the Ford Puma or Peugeot 2008.

You don’t get any of the plug-in hybrid or electric options that you do in its alternatives, though, which makes the K4 a bit like an iPod when the iPod Touch was released. Yes it does the same thing to all intents and purposes, but it’s a bit less clever than its tech-heavy alternatives.

But again, like an iPod, the K4 is a rather good looking piece of design. You can see a resemblance to the striking, all-electric EV4 and EV3 models, but the headlights are a bit larger and there are more defined creases down the K4’s bumpers and flanks. It’s a handsome thing.

The interior carries on the trend, because there’s a clear nod to the electric Kias in the pair of floating 12.3-inch displays on top of a minimalist dashboard and the funky steering wheel shapes, but it’s a bit less out-there, otherwise. Annoyingly, Kia’s now-typical touchscreen climate control panel is nestled in between the driver and infotainment displays, which we’ve found gets easily obscured by the steering wheel in Kia’s other models.

The centre console is home to a pair of cup holders, a phone pad and either a manual or automatic gear lever. A boot capacity of 438 litres means the K4 has more space in the back than the Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 308 and Volkswagen Golf.

The engine range sounds a little complicated but bear with us. The 1.0-litre engine option comes with either a manual or straightforward automatic transmission, while the 1.6-litre petrol engine is automatic-only. You can only have the 1.0-litre engine if you go for the Pure trim level, with either gearbox, while GT-Line cars are automatic-only but can be had with the 1.6-litre unit.

GT-Line S models are fitted with either the 1.0-litre engine without the mild hybrid assistance - but with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox instead - or the 1.6-litre motor with the same dual-clutch transmission. Phew.

Keep an eye out for our driving impressions once we get behind the wheel of the Kia K4 in the UK, but in the meantime have a look at new Kia K4 deals through Carwow, as well as Kia K4 lease deals. You can browse new Kia deals, or used Kias for sale through our trusted dealer network. Remember, you can even sell your car with Carwow.

The Kia K4 jumps in price dramatically between the entry-level trim and the range-topper. A Pure model with a manual gearbox starts at just over £26,000, while the automatic is around £1,500 more expensive. The Pure comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, cloth seats and a rear-view camera as standard.

It’s similarly equipped and priced to the most basic Vauxhall Astra while undercutting the Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Corolla and Peugeot 308 by thousands of pounds.

GT-Line cars drop the manual gearbox in exchange for 17-inch alloys, heated seats, a wireless phone charger, sporty body kit and more advanced driver assistance tech - but cost £2,500 more than the Pure with the same engine and gearbox. The 1.6-litre version is over £1,000 more, again. GT-Line S adds larger alloys, a slide-and-tilt sunroof, ventilated front seats, Harman Kardon audio and the dual-clutch automatic gearbox.