Toyota Corolla vs Kia K4

What's the difference?

Up until 2024 when its title was nabbed by the Tesla Model Y, the humble Toyota Corolla has been the world’s best-selling car for quite some time. 

A reputation for reliability, affordability, efficiency and in its current guise, being fun to drive, the Corolla has seen off all comers to retain the title of the most popular small car on Earth.

The current twelfth-generation Corolla is now seven years into its life cycle having landed in mid-2018. In that time scores of buyers have moved across into small SUVs, and the Corolla’s competitor set has shrunk dramatically as car brands pull out of the small passenger car segment.

But as we gear up for the next-gen Corolla, is the existing one still worth considering against some newer rivals? And should you look at this instead of a small SUV?

I lived with the mid-range Corolla SX hatchback for a week to find out.

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.