Watch out Toyota Corolla and Mazda3: Next-gen Kia Cerato to be called 2025 Kia K4 is on track to land in Australia early next year as a small sedan and hatchback

Kia’s Cerato successor is edging closer to an Australian release, with homologation documents showing the K4 has been formally approved for sale in Australia.

Set to arrive in the first quarter of next year, the K4 will be offered in two familiar powertrains: a 1.6-litre turbocharged four cylinder and a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre four cylinder petrol engine.

Documents confirm the 2.0-litre engine, which comprises every grade bar the top-spec GT in the current Cerato range, will be paired to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), replacing the current six-speed torque converter automatic.

Meanwhile, the 1.6-litre option – which is expected to be paired to the top-spec K4 GT grade – is likely to feature an eight-speed automatic transmission, replacing the seven-speed dual-clutch that comes in the Cerato GT.

Specifications from the US show that the K4 will still match the Hyundai i30 range in terms of output figures, despite a slight dip in power on the turbo engine.

In the US, the 2.0-litre engine is capable of producing 108kW/179Nm, while the 1.6-litre GT turbo engine will deliver 139kW/264Nm when it arrives there in 2025, a decrease of about 11kW on the current Cerato GT.

At least three grades are expected in Australia to begin with, followed by a GT-Line and a hatchback version later in 2025.

Pricing is unconfirmed, but expect it to start at around the $33,000 mark in Australia, before on-road costs. In the US, the current line up starts at $21,990 ($32,940) for the LX, $22,990 ($34,438) for the LXS and $23,990 ($35,936) for the EX. All prices are at the manufacturer's suggested retail price.

The K4 will borrow much of its design from Kia's electric cars, such as the EV6 and EV9, which appear to be setting the stylistic tone for the brand.

The long, slit grille that features on the EV6 and EV9 finds itself on the K4, while imposing LED headlights and chunky alloy wheels draw from the boldness of those models in spirit.

The fastback roofline appears to be borrowed from the Kia Stinger, while the K4 goes its own way at the rear, with sharp LED lights that all but stretch across the entire boot of the vehicle.

As standard, the K4 will come with dual 12.3-inch multimedia touch displays, one for the driver’s display and the other for multimedia functions.

Standard safety features include Automatic Emergency Braking, which automatically engages the brakes when drivers are in danger of colliding with another car, pedestrian or cyclist.

Kia's Highway Driving Assist also comes standard, which uses forward-facing cameras, radars and navigation data to maintain a predetermined speed and distance from the car in front.

A full list of specifications and pricing is expected before the K4’s Australian launch at the beginning of next year.