Kia K4 vs MG MG5

What's the difference?

Kia has launched a new small sedan - the K4 and it replaces the popular Cerato model for our market. A hatchback sibling arrives sometime later this year as a contender against the Toyota Corolla.

With a design that's sharper and far sportier-looking than the model it replaces, will it prove to be as successful?

We're in the flagship GT-Line grade to see what this new sedan has to offer and whether it's a good fit for urban dwellers who don't want another SUV.

MG has a knack for bucking market trends. The MG3 hatch currently makes up more than a quarter of the brand’s sales at a time when the ‘light car’ category is in gradual decline. Electric cars are too expensive? Here comes the MG4 for less than $40K.

So is this, the MG5, here to resuscitate the sedan? A market segment that’s on the way to flatline here in Australia (aside from the Tesla Model 3's relatively niche appeal)?

If it does, it’s going to do it the same way MG has before. Low pricing. Both MG5 variants come in at less than $30K drive-away and convincingly undercut rivals… but at what cost?

MG delivers a strong value proposition with its small sedan, but it largely only comes with the essential safety features needed to be sold in Australia.

Does the MG5 bring enough to the table to be worth considering without common active safety features like lane-keep assist or rear cross-traffic alert? Let’s find out.