Hatchback Reviews

The Kia K4 was a massive shakeup for the South Korean carmaker when it launched in Australia last year as it ditched the popular Cerato nameplate.Launching initially in sedan guise only, the K4 hasn’t been the sales hit the Cerato was, at least yet. The K4 Hatch has now arrived and it could help correct the course.Measuring 27cm shorter overall than the sedan, the K4 Hatch has a shorter rear overhang. This makes the K4 look more European and contemporary than the more conventionally styled sedan.Another benefit of the shorter rear hangover is it's easier to park in tight parallel car spots. This can make a world of a difference to small car buyers.While shorter overall, the K4 Hatch’s wheelbase remains unchanged from the sedan. This means the almost tardis-like interior space carries over, especially for second-row passengers.Overall boot space (438L) is down slightly on the sedan (508L) but the boot opening is much larger and the space itself is squarer and usable for big, bulky items. It’s also great to still see a space-saver spare wheel under the boot floor.Another big shakeup that coincided with the introduction of the hatchback body style was a slight change to what powers the non-GT-Line K4 trims.It’s still a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine but produces slightly less power and torque (110kW/180Nm vs 112kW/192Nm). It’s also mated to continuously variable transmission (CVT) rather than a torque-converter automatic. The same set-up can be found in the Kia Seltos and Hyundai i30 Sedan, among others.While this engine has never been an outright performance beast, the CVT does make the most of what it has to offer. It’s happy to flare the revs when required to get up to speed, but you get that monotonous engine drone as there's no gear changes.At higher speeds the engine does run out of puff and it frequently needs to dip above 3000rpm in order to maintain highway/freeway speeds.Despite this, fuel consumption has improved dramatically thanks to the CVT. Kia claims it consumes an average of 6.1L/100km, versus 7.4L/100km for the MY25 K4 Sedan. In the real world I saw an average of 6.9L/100km across 350km of urban/highway driving, which is considerably better than what I got in previous testing of the K4 Sedan with the six-speed torque-converter auto.It’s disappointing the K4 still only has a 47L fuel tank which is small for the segment and means you’ll need to be refuelling more frequently.Another redeeming factor for the lack of engine power is how comfortable and dynamic the K4 Hatch is to drive. Like the sedan it has received a local ride and handling tune and that is evident in and around town, as well as on the open road.The car reacts to pimply urban roads with suppleness and even larger bumps at higher speeds don’t unsettle the ride.This is complimented by the steering which is direct and has a nice weight to make the car feel fun to drive on the open road but not too unwieldy in tight, urban streets.The K4 Sport+, which is the penultimate trim level in the line-up and the highest trim with the 2.0-litre non-turbo engine, is priced from $39,090 before on-road costs, regardless of the body style. This is getting up there in terms of price compared to similarly specced rivals like the Toyota Corolla Hybrid and Subaru Impreza.Standard equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 5.0-inch climate control screen, synthetic leather upholstery and heated front seats.However, for almost $40,000 before on-road costs this K4 misses out on a wireless charger and it has a plastic steering wheel instead of a leather- or synthetic leather-wrapped unit.Beyond this, the K4 Sport+ comes with the entire active safety suite including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with lane centring and lane change assist, plus front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. Strangely a surround-view camera isn't offered across the line-up.There are also seven airbags, an emergency SOS calling function, plus ISOFIX child-seat anchorages on the two outboard rear seats and top-tether points on all rear seats.Like all Kias, the K4 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. This is now becoming standard among mainstream carmakers.Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. The first seven services cost a total of $3883, which averages out to $554 per service. This isn’t cheap and you’ll pay less for servicing an equivalent Hyundai i30 or Toyota Corolla Hybrid.

After three years on sale in Australia, Toyota's performance-focused GR Corolla has been given some mid-life love.Toyota says the chassis is stronger thanks to extra structural adhesive used to bond key areas together (mostly the underbody and rear wheel wells). And that’s on top of the fact the car’s frame is already hand-finished in the Toyota Gazoo Racing factory in Motomachi, Japan, with additional bracing and spot welds to enhance rigidity. An extra inlet on the three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine’s secondary intake duct draws cool air from the front grille to lower intake air temp at faster engine speeds. The lower part of the grille has also been revised with new vent sections for engine cooling and airflow management into the front wheel arches.  And inside, the standard JBL audio system has stepped up from eight to nine speakers with the addition of a subwoofer in the boot.At the same time, the ‘Active Noise Control’ system has been tweaked to keep the cabin quieter most of the time and ‘Active Sound Control’ has been added to synthetically beef up the turbo-triple’s throaty induction noise and growling exhaust note when the driver has the bit between their teeth.But the rest of this hi-po hot hatch’s standard specification is unchanged, as is the price at $67,990, before on-road costs, for the manual version and $70,490 for the auto.Somehow, cooler air entering the cylinders hasn’t upped engine outputs, which remain at a stout 221kW at 6500rpm and 400Nm from 3250-4600rpm.That torque number, 30Nm higher than the launch GR Corolla, was inherited from the initial, limited-run Morizo Edition in a late 2024 model year update that also introduced availability of an eight-speed torque-converter auto transmission (as per our test example) alongside the standard six-speed manual gearbox.And the ‘GR-Four’ all-wheel-drive system retains its electrically-controlled multi-plate clutch on the rear axle with Torsen-type limited-slip differentials front and back.And the rest of it’s all there, from the 18-inch Enkei alloys shod with Yokohama Advan V601 (235/40) rubber, to the bulging bonnet, macho body kit (incorporating roughly 5000 vents and ducts), bigger brakes, sporty interior and forged carbon roof insert.So, is it still the pocket-rocket GR Yaris’s heavy-hitting big brother, with the power and dynamics to match serious competitors like the Honda Civic Type R ($79,000, drive-away), Subaru WRX tS Sport Sportswagon ($63,290, BOC) and VW Golf R ($71,990, BOC)? We spent a sporty week behind the wheel to find out.Aside from the dynamics and performance tech, which we’ll get to shortly, the GR Corolla boasts a healthy standard features list. As it should, with cost-of-entry comfortably more than double that of an entry-level Corolla Ascent Sport ($29,610, BOC).Highlights include a head-up display, LED exterior lights, leather and synthetic suede trimmed sports front seats (also heated), dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen, the JBL audio set-up (including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), racy alloy pedal covers, wireless phone charging and adaptive cruise control (auto only).The aero-influenced body kit incorporates a bulging alloy bonnet and safety’s through the roof with the ‘Toyota Safety Sense’ suite including auto emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, road sign assist, seven airbags and heaps more.Bundle in a super-competitive $395 capped-price annual service cost for the first five years and the GR Corolla stacks up well on value-for-money relative to its competitive set.It might accelerate from 0-100km/h in a bit over five seconds, and we’ll get to the drive experience in a moment, but the GR is still a five-door hatch. And it inherits the good and not-so-good practicality attributes of its more everyday 12th-gen (E210) Corolla stablemates.A 2640mm wheelbase means while there’s ample space for the driver and front passenger the rear seat is relatively tight with just enough leg and headroom for full-size adults. A small rear door aperture makes entry, and particularly egress, a Houdini-like escape exercise.Modest boot volume has been an Achilles heel for the current Corolla from day one and the GR’s 213 litres is even smaller than the standard hatch’s 217L thanks to the performance version’s AWD and sports exhaust hardware underneath. And that’s despite the GR forgoing the standard line-up’s space-saver spare for an inflator/repair kit.Against an official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel economy figure of 9.5L/100km we saw an on-test average of 12.3L/100km, including a mix of suburban and city commuting as well as some more enthusiastic sessions.Not outrageous for a performance-focused hot hatch, and if it’s fuel efficiency you’re after, there’s always the standard four-cylinder hybrid Corolla models.Speaking of enthusiastic sessions, the GR Corolla remains an ultra-capable and satisfying performance drive.Brilliant steering response and road feel, balanced and buttoned-down in quick cornering, the strut front, double-wishbone rear suspension keeps the car stable and predictable at all times.The Yokohama rubber delivers impressive grip and helps the car clearly communicate what’s going on, the slick AWD system putting the power down brilliantly.Ride is relatively firm over typically bumpy suburban surfaces and pock-marked B-roads. But that’s a price engaged drivers will no doubt pay happily. And on the upside, the sports front seats are comfy and supportive.  As the turbo triple spins furiously towards its 7000rpm rev ceiling that characteristically coarse three-cylinder engine note builds to a smile-inducing bark. Some of that raucous noise may be synthetically enhanced. In fact, there are ’sound patterns’ to accompany each drive mode - ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Eco’. But you can switch it all off and the engine and exhaust still sound great.The eight-speed auto, however, is not the snappiest. If you’re used to the rapid-fire ratio changes of a dual-clutch, the comparatively relaxed shifts from this transmission (even in manual mode at higher revs) will be a less than pleasant surprise.

The already angry looking Toyota GR Yaris GTS race car for the road has been given an Aero Performance package that not only makes it more dynamic but it now looks downright furious.

The GT-Line is the flagship model in the K4 Hatch range, sitting at the top of the four-model line-up, and breaking well in the $40K range, with its sticker price of $43,790.Unlike the rest of the K4 range, which are powered by a 2.0-litre engine, the GT-Line gets its own engine and transmission combination, a 1.6-litre turbo that makes 142kW and 265Nm paired with an eight-speed automatic.The K4 hatch is slightly shorter and slightly lower than the Cerato it effectively replaces, but there is some clever interior packaging, so much so in fact that Kia says you get more legroom and headroom in both the front row and the second row than you did in the old Cerato, but marginally less shoulder room in the back seat.What does that mean in real terms? It means that I think you'd actually get away with this as a family car, at least in terms of passenger space.Sitting behind my own 175cm driving position, I had tonnes of knee room and enough headroom to get comfortable. Yes, it would be tight with three adults across the back, but you could have two kids back there, or a child seat or two, easily. 

The Sport+ is the second-highest grade you get in the K4 Hatch, sitting below only the flagship GT-Line. It is, predictably, also the second-most expensive model, listing at $39,090.It rides on 18-inch alloys, gets LED projection headlights, unique synthetic leather two-tone seat trimming, a heated steering wheel with paddle shifters, and a strong Harman Kardon eight-speaker stereo.Like the rest of the K4 range (save the GT-Line, which gets a bespoke engine), the Sport is powered by a new and more efficient 2.0-litre engine with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drops power slightly, and fuel use more significantly. The new engine and transmission combination makes 110kW and 180Nm, compared to 112kW and 192Nm, with fuel use falling from 7.4L/100km to a more frugal six litres flat.In terms of back seat and boot space, sitting behind my own 175cm driving position, I had tonnes of knee room and enough headroom to get comfortable. Yes, it would be tight with three adults across the back, but you could have two kids back there, or a child seat or two, easily. The boot is 438 litres VDA, which is very solid, but not good enough to swallow a massive pram comfortably. There is, however, a space-saver spare under the boot floor, which is a tick.

The K4 Sport occupies the second rung on the K4 Hatch ladder, sitting above the entry-level S, and listing at $36,690. It gets the 'Integrated Panoramic Display' (Kia’s two 12.3-inch screens joined by a 5.0-inch climate monitor) as standard, along with the added safety stuff included in the S level’s 'Safety Pack' and dual-zone climate control. It also rides on 17-inch alloys.Like the rest of the K4 range (save the GT-Line, which gets a bespoke engine), the Sport is powered by a new and more efficient 2.0-litre engine with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drops power slightly, and fuel use more significantly. The new engine and transmission combination makes 110kW and 180Nm, compared to 112kW and 192Nm, with fuel use falling from 7.4L/100km to a more frugal six litres flat.The K4 Hatch is slightly shorter and slightly lower than the Cerato that it effectively replaces, but there is some clever interior packaging, so much so in fact that Kia says you get more legroom and headroom in both the front row and the second row than you did in the old Cerato, but marginally less shoulder room in the back seat.What does that mean in real terms? It means I think you'd actually get away with this as a family car, at least in terms of passenger space.

Kia’s replacement for its ever-green Cerato arrived in two stages — the K4 Sedan, which arrived earlier this year, and now the K4 Hatch, which has just landed in Australia. The Hatch trim levels and specification mirror the Sedan exactly, which means the range kicks off with the entry-level S, yours for $32,090.The big news for S is a new and more efficient 2.0-litre engine with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drops power slightly, and fuel use more significantly. The new engine and transmission combination makes 110kW and 180Nm, compared to 112kW and 192Nm, with fuel use falling from 7.4L/100km to a more frugal six litres flat.The K4 S arrives with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, a smart key with push-button start, power folding and heated exterior mirrors, four USB-C outlets and a six-speaker audio system, but it does have the worst tech offering, swapping Kia’s twin-screen system for what it calls a 'Basic Digital Driver Cluster' with 4.0-inch multi-function (LCD) display — which doesn’t sound too fancy, does it?You can add the 'Safety Pack' to the K4 S for $2100 and that adds a 12.3-inch instrument display, as well as dual-zone climate control and an expanded auto emergency braking (AEB) system with junction turning and crossing and direct/oncoming lane change detection.

Here for a good time not a long time could be the hot hatch motto.

I know, I know, the small passenger car segment is on its last legs in Australia. Dying, if not already dead. The eulogy is written. The hole has been dug. All that's left is to lower the few remaining stragglers into the ground.The problem is, nobody seems to have told Kia. The Korean brand is doubling (or even tripling, if you consider the Picanto) down on its passenger car offering in Australia with the launch of the K4 hatch.You're no doubt already familiar with the K4 sedan – the brand's Cerato-replacing small car that arrived in Australia at the beginning of this year. But this slower-to-arrive hatch version is the one they've been waiting for."Australians are hatchback people," the brand tells us, and so this wagon-esque body shape will be the model's best-seller. And considering the sedan managed 5942 sales to the end of November (in a segment that shrank by 23.6 per cent over the same period) that would be good news for Kia.It's worth remembering here that this is supposed to be one of Kia's entry-level vehicles, but it really doesn't look like it, does it? I love the new design language on both K4 examples, but I like this one even better, mostly because it blends Kia's future-friendly front-end design with a sportier-feeling silhouette.It also doesn't look like a hatchback, at least in the traditional sense. It might be shorter than the sedan (4440mm versus 4710mm), but the way the design seems to stretch back from the b-pillar gives the K4 hatch a kind of wagon-ish profile.Like the sedan, the K4 hatch is available in five grades, and pricing and equipment is identical across the body styles. That means no matter the shape you choose, you can have a K4 S for $32,090, an S with Safety Pack for $34,190, a Sport for $36,690, a Sport+ for $39,090 or a GT-Line for $43,790.I won't detail the full spec here, but we have a detailed article that covers all the inclusions at each price point.In hatch guise, I've only really tested the GT-Line trim, and yes, nearly $44k before on-roads is a sizeable ask, but I've got to say it does also feel quite plush in the cabin. All the materials kind of melt under the touch, and you get leather-ish seats trimmed – in my test car at least – in sharp-looking white and black.The twin-screen setup (one 12.3-inch screen for multimedia and another for driving info, with a climate control panel sandwiched between) is probably my favourite iteration of Kia's cabin layout, because not only do you get the tech, you also get a whole bunch of shortcut buttons so you don't have to go digging through screens every time you want to do something.But the big news for most of the K4 range is a new and more efficient 2.0-litre engine with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drops power slightly, and fuel use more significantly.The new engine and gearbox combination makes 110kW and 180Nm, compared to 112kW and 192Nm, with fuel use falling from 7.4L/100km to a more frugal six litres flat.The K4 hatch is slightly shorter and slightly lower than the Cerato that it effectively replaces, but there is some clever interior packaging, so much so in fact that Kia says you get more legroom and headroom in both the front row and the second row than you did in the old Cerato, but marginally less shoulder room in the back seat.What does that mean in real terms? It means that I think you'd actually get away with this as a family car, at least in terms of passenger space.Sitting behind my own 175cm driving position, I had tonnes of knee room and enough headroom to get comfortable. Yes, it would be tight with three adults across the back, but you could have two kids back there, or a child seat or two, easily. But it is at the boot where the first chink in that family-friendly armour does appear. The boot is 438 litres VDA, which is very solid, but not good enough to swallow a massive pram comfortably. There is, however, a space-saver spare under the boot floor, which is a tick.I'm going to have to limit my drive impressions to the GT-Line, which is possibly no bad thing. A turbocharged engine and an actual gearbox is a rarity in the world of cars these days, plus the 1.6-litre turbo and eight-speed automatic reserved for the GT-Line makes 142kW and 265Nm – both big jumps over the rest of the range.I've driven a lot of newcomer brands to the country recently, and I've got to say, really none of them shine on Australian roads the way that cars have been tuned and tested here shine on Australian roads, and the K4 hatch is no exception. It rides firmly but comfortably, the steering is nicely weighted, and there's a level of engagement to the experience sometimes lacking from the competition.Now, that's not to say it isn't without some quirks. It can feel a little bit loud and ragged in the cabin when you put your foot down. And the steering, which has a really nice weight to it, doesn't feel overly linear all the time either. When you turn into a corner, sometimes it feels like you have to have another bite at it, or less of a bite of it. It's like it turns on some lock and then a lot of lock all at once.But in terms of cruising around the city or the suburbs, this thing is comfortable, mostly quiet, and easy to live with, and it'll do pretty much what you need it to do without too much drama.But one final caveat. Before I set out to film this car for the video review above, I had to studiously make sure that all the safety systems were either turned off or turned to silent, because you just know they're going to interrupt filming with bings and bongs and chimes.That is a curse of the modern car. I really do hope they find a way to iron it out sooner rather than later, because believe me, you will get familiar with turning off the safety systems in this one, too.

Cupra is a performance brand, and the Leon VZx is its hero hot hatch.