Kia K4 vs Skoda Karoq

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.

Typically appealing to those seeking quality engineering and tech without feeling the need to make a boastful badge statement, Skoda is a low-key, ultra-confident brand.

On sale here since 2018, the Skoda Karoq is a comparatively small fish in one of the most hotly contested segments in the Australian new-car market, namely medium SUVs, the leading trio consisting of the Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander.

To increase its appeal against these and other high-profile contenders Skoda Australia has introduced a new entry-level Karoq designed to hit the Goldilocks zone between attractive standard specification and sharp pricing. CarsGuide was invited to its local launch.