Kia K4 Reviews

The popular Kia Cerato, also known as the K3 in overseas markets, has been replaced by a new small sedan - the K4. It brings a sharper and far sportier look to the segment and with a hatchback sibling arriving later in the year, will it prove to be as popular as the model it replaces?

The Kia Cerato is no more. Welcome to the Kia line-up, the new K4.It is bigger than the Cerato in almost every dimension and has a bigger cabin as well as a sleek new exterior design. From launch the only body style is the sedan, but a hatchback is coming before the end of 2025. It’s also petrol power only for now but expect a hybrid soon.Compared with the Cerato GT, pricing has increased by more than $6100, but Kia says the uptick in price can be put down to an increase in in-car and safety tech, greater levels of refinement and more.The GT-Line uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit, matched with an eight-speed torque converter auto. With power and torque outputs of 142kW and 264Nm, it is down slightly compared with the outgoing Cerato GT’s 150kW/265Nm figures, but the K4 GT-Line is no full-fat GT. As a result, fuel consumption on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is down by 0.2L to 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres.As the flagship grade, the GT-Line gains the most standard gear and on top of everything that’s included on the Sport+, you get a premium Harman Kardon eight-speaker audio system, a three-spoke premium steering wheel, artificial leather seats, eight-way power driver’s seat, paddle shifters, ambient lighting, heated steering wheel and a wireless charging pad.You also get a more premium interior with two-tone synthetic leather, a two-tone three-spoke GT-Line steering wheel and more soft-touch materials.

The Kia K4 has officially replaced the popular Cerato as Kia’s small car offering, but this model is bigger than its predecessor and many of its rivals that include the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3.From launch the only body style is the sedan, but a hatchback is coming before the end of 2025. It’s also petrol power only for now but expect a hybrid soon.Pricing for the Sport+ has increased by more than $5300 over the equivalent Cerato grade, but Kia says the uptick in price can be put down to an increase in in-car and safety tech, greater levels of refinement and more.The Sport is powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine offering up power and torque of 112kW/192Nm. This drives the front wheels via a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.The carryover 2.0-litre unit consumes 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle and emits 167g/km of CO2.The Sport+ is the best equipped 2.0L K4 grade and over and above the Sport it comes standard with heated front seats, a passenger side rear map pocket, illuminated glove box, soft-touch door panels, auto-dimming rear view mirror, rain-sensing wipers, synthetic leather seats and 17-inch alloys.

The Kia Cerato-replacing K4 is bigger and bolder than its predecessor and comes to market with a lot more standard gear and safety equipment.From launch the only body style is the sedan, but a hatchback is coming before the end of 2025. It’s also petrol power only for now but expect a hybrid soon.Pricing for the Sport has increased by more than $6000 over the equivalent Cerato grade, but Kia says the uptick in price can be put down to an increase in in-car and safety tech, greater levels of refinement and more.The Sport is powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine offering up power and torque of 112kW/192Nm. This drives the front wheels via a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.The carryover 2.0-litre unit consumes 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle and emits 167g/km of CO2.The K4 comes with a lengthy safety features list across all grades, including auto emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control (with stop & go functionality), lane keep assist, lane follow assist, multi-collision braking, ‘Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist’, driver attention warning, ‘Intelligent Speed Limit Assist’, a front centre airbag and more.

The Kia K4 replaces the long-running Cerato and the new model has increased in size to the point that it’s straddling small and mid-size car dimensions.From launch the only body style is the sedan, but a hatchback is coming before the end of 2025. It’s also petrol power only for now but expect a hybrid soon.Kicking off the range is the base S, which has gone up in price by more than $3500. Kia says the uptick in price can be put down to an increase in in-car and safety tech, greater levels of refinement and more.The S is powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine offering up power and torque of 112kW/192Nm. This drives the front wheels via a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission.The carryover 2.0-litre unit consumes 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle and emits 167g/km of CO2.Standard gear in the S includes a 4.0-inch LCD driver’s instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch multimedia screen, over-the-air updates, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, rear-seat air vents and USB-C ports, digital radio, customisable driver profiles and manual air conditioning.You can opt for a 'Safety Pack' ($2100) that adds a 12.3-inch instrument display, a 5.0-inch air con display, dual-zone climate control and an expanded AEB system with junction turning and crossing and direct/oncoming lane change detection.

The Cerato became a huge hit for Kia in Australia with more than 200,000 sold over 20 years. But Kia is replacing it with a new global small car, dubbed the K4. It is larger than the Cerato, and gets a big uptick in in-car and safety tech. Not to mention the radical redesign. But can it divert attention away from the still popular Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla?