Say hello to…
…the Kia K4 an all-new, Mexican-build, model from the Korean firm. It sits in the family hatchback segment, making it a rival for a VW Golf, and alongside the Kia’s own all-electric EV4. However the K4 is available with a choice of two petrol engines; a 1.0 and a 1.6 with three power outputs (113hp, 147hp and 177hp).
The K4 is available in three trim levels:
- Pure
- GT-Line
- GT-Line S
Standard equipment on the Pure includes 16-inch alloys, LED headlights, climate control, keyless entry and start, 60:40 split-fold rear seats, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, 12.3-inch digital drivers display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 4x USB sockets, powered door mirrors and cloth upholstery.
GT-Line adds 17-inch alloys, power-fold door mirrors, rear privacy glass, heated front seats and steering wheel, wireless phone charger and powered driver’s seat.
GT-Line S adds 18-inch alloys, sunroof, ventilated front seats, heated rear outer seats and artificial leather upholstery.
Is The Kia K4 Suitable For My Fleet
With the proviso that the K4 is only available as a petrol car, it’s great to see a car maker offering a ‘regular’ hatchback – something that used to be a fleet staple, but has now been replaced by the SUV.
Leasing A Kia K4
Gateway2lease is offering the Kia K4 1.0 GT-Line S auto for £398 a month on a 3+36 contract over 10,000 miles a year. Over the same distance the K4 will cost just less than £30 a month in maintenance according to Gensen Reports and the Class 1A NIC will cost £112 a month.
Driving A Kia K4
On the move, the K4 delivers a mixed experience. Ride comfort is generally good and there’s little to complain about in terms of engine refinement, but there’s no getting away from the fact the automatic gearbox significantly detracts from what is otherwise a very appealing family car.
The biggest issue is smoothness. The K4’s small turbocharged petrol engine lacks meaningful low-down torque, which makes pulling away from rest surprisingly difficult to judge. Press the accelerator gently and very little happens; add a little more throttle and suddenly the engine wakes up (the turbo spools up), resulting in an abrupt surge forward. The result is a car that can feel frustratingly jerky around town.
This is particularly noticeable in stop-start traffic, where an automatic transmission should make life easier rather than harder. Unfortunately, the problem is compounded by both the stop-start system and the auto-hold function, which seem to add another layer of hesitation and abruptness to low-speed manoeuvres. Both systems can be switched off, improving the experience, but the settings reset every time the car is restarted, meaning you’ll need to deactivate them on every journey.
All this is a shame because the K4 gets so much else right. It looks sharp, offers impressive passenger space and a generous boot, and comes well equipped. However, the automatic version’s inability to deliver smooth, predictable progress takes some of the shine off an otherwise accomplished package.
While we’ve not driven the manual version, we suspect this would cure a lot of our criticism.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Kia K4
Great to see a new family hatch joining Kia’s line-up, but we’d have to go for a manual, not the automatic.
Kia K4
- Model: K4 GT-Line S 1.0T DCT
- Power: 113hp
- Torque: 200Nm
- Max speed: 115mph
- 0-62mph: 12.3 seconds
- Official efficiency: 48.7mpg
- Test efficiency: 43.6mpg
- CO2 emissions: 132g/km
- BIK tax band 2026/27: 32%
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