With all the SUVs I have been reviewing, it was nice to get into a sedan. You forget how good bargain sedans have become. The last Kia sedan I reviewed was the Forte, which was good but nothing extraordinary. However, the new Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo has everything going for it. Racy looks. Clean bodylines. Cool colors. A reasonably luxurious interior. Quick and nimble handling. And finally, unexpected technology you would not expect in a car that stickers for just over $30,000. You can get into a basic K4 for nearly $10,000 less, but what fun is that? Imagine all the goodies you would expect in a luxury vehicle at this price point in a car where traditional SUVs are already starting in the $40K range.
“The all-new K4 advances Kia’s commitment to deliver sporty sedans with advanced technology and elevated performance,” said Steven Center, COO and EVP, Kia America. “Succeeding in the compact segment means overdelivering on the features that customers want, and the K4 is designed to exceed expectations.” We agree, Steven!
A Cool Design
To give the K4 a modern look, they stretched its proportions over the chassis to give it more presence. According to Tom Kearns, the Chief Designer, “By juxtaposing the K4’s fastback roofline and wide stance, we split the difference visually between the compact and midsize segments. The creative tension that the Opposites United design language stresses allowed us to improvise on the traditional three-box form factor.”
The spaciousness comes off in the interior as well. The airy K4 interior is available in either Medium Gray or Slate Green, and the GT-Line models add Onyx and Off-White SynTex material that comes off as leather. Heated front seats are standard on K4 GT-Line, and my Turbo packed ventilated seats. There is also a driver’s seat memory function that made me smile at the low price point.
A cool three-spoke ‘squircle’ steering wheel is unique to K4 GT-Line models. Like other GT-Line models in the Kia lineup, the K4 GT-Line gets unique front and rear fascia areas with gloss black accents, a satin chrome beltline, gloss black mirror caps, window trim, and side sills. There are also small cube LED projection headlights and LED fog lights.
Under the hood resides a 1.6-liter, 190-horsepower, 195 lb-ft of torque turbo engine coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It is more than enough for a good time with decent fuel economy: 29 MPG overall.
Can’t Get Over the Inside – It’s Giving Luxury
Hop into the large interior of the K4 and you realize the interior of the car raises the bar for the entire class. The centerpiece of the wide, expansive cockpit is the standard integrated digital instrumentation. It is a first for the compact sedan segment and a very modern design element. You would think you were hopping into an entry-level Mercedes sedan.
Kia nicknames the large infotainment screen the Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC). The operating system features OTA updates. The instrument cluster, climate display, and infotainment screen project across a combined nearly 30 inches of digital real estate. The native navigation is great, but Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard. Where the screen ends, the ambient lighting package begins. Choose your color to give a luxurious glow throughout the cabin.
Hey Kia
Just like I was unsuspecting of a large modern infotainment system like Mercedes, I also was not expecting a similar voice control experience. Kia Connect’s available voice assistant offers an easy way to access various vehicle functions. Say, “Hey Kia” to gain voice-control access to functions such as climate control and audio.
Kia is working to enhance the Kia Assistant’s functionality with the power of generative AI to be able to provide information on many topics, such as stocks, sports scores, owner’s manual content, and local points of interest. The Kia Assistant is designed to listen for follow-up questions and interact with the driver in a more conversational way.
To broadcast that information into the cabin, there is an 8-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. It features a center channel and a small subwoofer on the rear deck. For its simplicity, the audio system works very well and sounds decent. It could use some more bass, but an aftermarket mobile electronics retailer can help you with that. It certainly is a great starting point for high-quality audio.
The only niggle I have is an odd volume control that you roll up or down. I prefer an old-school knob you twist.
In a world of CUVs, getting into a sporty sedan is refreshing. The K4 GT-Line Turbo is quick, nimble, looks great, and has a wonderful infotainment suite. Moreover, there are eight airbags with a full ADAS suite including active cruise control. Hopping in and seeing the modern display seals the deal. With a price of just over $30K, why aren’t you at the dealer checking one out right now?
