2025 Kia K4 Hatch Review

The 2025 Kia K4 hatch launches with four grades – S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line (pictured) – and importantly, they’re priced identically to the sedan, meaning buyers can now pick their K4 based purely on how easily they want to access their stuff in the boot.

Pricing starts at $32,090 plus on-road costs for the S, rising to $36,690 for the Sport and $39,090 for the Sport+. The flagship GT-Line tops the range at $43,790 before on-roads.

Headline gear on the S includes 16-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, cloth seats, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, manual air conditioning, DAB digital radio, push-button start, Kia Connect, over-the-air (OTA) updates, adaptive cruise control, power-folding mirrors and wireless smartphone mirroring.

An optional $2100 ‘safety pack’ is available for the S which adds intersection detection autonomous emergency braking, an upgraded lane-keeping system that can detect cars and motorcycles in adjacent lanes, Kia’s signature panoramic cockpit and dual-zone climate control – making the package a little more enticing.

The S, Sport and Sport+ are all powered by the same 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine producing 110kW/118Nm and paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Stepping up to the Sport primarily adds larger 17-inch alloys, satellite navigation and highway driving assist. 

The Sport+ in turn gains synthetic leather seats with heating functionality, soft-touch door materials, rain-sensing wipers an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, sliding and illuminated sun visors and an illuminated glovebox.

At the top of the range sits the GT-Line, which pairs a punchier 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine (142kW/265Nm), eight-speed automatic transmission and multi-link rear suspension with 18-inch wheels, projector LED headlights, power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory function, a heated steering wheel, paddle shifters, ambient lighting, wireless phone charging, an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, ventilated front seats and sportier exterior styling.

All of the above is as per the K4 sedan, however the hatch bundles in a few body-specific touches: a parcel shelf, luggage-net hook and a rear window wiper.

Boot space comes in at a generous 438-litres, making the K4 hatch one of the most practical offerings in its class, but there’s no denying the sedan’s boot is bigger at 508L.

Safety credentials carry over from the sedan, meaning the S holds a four-star ANCAP rating, but ticks up to five stars with the optional safety pack fitted. All other variants are five-star rated.

Service intervals are set at a 12 months or 10,000km (whichever comes first) with the 2.0-litres costing between $327 and $695 per visit across the first seven, while the 1.6-litre turbo ranges from $357 to $717 over the same period.

First and foremost, it’s great to be back in a hatchback. The 2025 Kia K4 hatch instantly reminds you why this segment was once so popular. It’s genuinely enjoyable to drive, zippy to manoeuvre and easy to park.

I spent most of my time in the GT-Line with the 1.6-litre turbo, and it would be my pick of the range… if budget wasn’t one of my top considerations.

The engine feels eager, with plenty of power when you need it. The steering is sporty and nicely weighted, and the multi-link suspension does a solid job of keeping the car settled without feeling overly harsh, but is still on the firmer side.

It’s a confident drive, and overall a car to be very well entertained by on the right road.

From some angles, the K4 hatch looks almost wagon-like, and that shape pays off inside. It’s wider than the old Cerato and has a longer wheelbase, so the cabin immediately feels bigger and more mature.

It’s also significantly longer and wider than a Toyota Corolla, and you feel that extra space everywhere you sit.

On a similar note, both headroom and legroom are a clear step up from the Cerato which was already one of the roomiest in the class, making the K4 a genuine small-family option.

Adults fit comfortably in the second row, and it no longer feels like a hatchback that’s only built around the driver.

Boot space is another strong point. At 438-litres, the K4 hatch sits at the top of the class, comfortably ahead of the Subaru Impreza (291L), Mazda3 (295L) and Corolla (333L). It’s more like what you’d expect from a small SUV, just without the bulk.

Inside, the tech package is ahead of the curve as well. In GT-Line form, the dual 12.3-inch displays, ambient lighting and clean cabin layout make the K4 feel a generation newer than both.

Even the Sport+ feels modern in that sense, although overall cabin plushness doesn’t quite match the likes of Mazda.

In a first point I didn’t think I’d make, the K4 is quite big for a hatchback. Like curiously big. Big enough that, when it sat beside the Stonic at the launch, they looked like mother and child. Driving them back-to-back only reinforced it.

And while that extra size brings more comfort, stability and interior space, it also nudges the K4 into a different zone than most hatch might buyers expect.

Some people walk into a showroom wanting a compact hatch, see it parked next to a light SUV, and decide it’s simply too big, something I’ve seen happen before. So, although we’re talking hatchback, we’re not necessarily talking about a small car.

Another point to ponder is that on paper, the entry-level S isn’t the strongest value proposition. Most buyers will likely feel compelled to add the $2100 safety pack – which is really more of a tech bundle – pushing the price of your ‘entry-level’ hatch to roughly $36,000 drive-away.

That’s more a reflection of today’s market than Kia specifically, but it does explain why plenty of shoppers will drift toward a Stonic or another similarly priced small or light SUV.

Small cars have always been synonymous with efficiency and are a big part of why people buy them, so when a hatchback is nudging 10L/100km in the real world, it breaks that expectation.

When a seven-year-old Corolla can deliver around 4.2L/100km, the K4’s 8.2-9.3L/100km figures don’t look competitive.

The lack of a hybrid option here is a noticeable gap in the K4 range and another area where the Stonic, with its new mild-hybrid setup, suddenly becomes appealing.

On the way back to the airport, we swapped into a Sport+ for a quick stint behind the wheel. Most of it was straightforward freeway driving, with only about 15 minutes of real variation, so it wasn’t enough time for a full verdict, but the first impressions were clear.

Around Sydney streets, the 2.0-litre engine feels perfectly fine, but it runs out of puff when you ask for more. 

Country-road overtakes need a firm squeeze of the throttle, and the CVT has to flare and hold revs to make it happen. It’s not unsafe, just noisy and a bit strained; highlighting why the 1.6-litre turbo in the GT-Line is the better unit. 

With hybrids becoming more abundant, the K4’s petrol engines simply don’t deliver the kind of fuel economy many buyers still associate with this segment, and without a hybrid option, it’s harder for the K4 to appeal to shoppers who prioritise low running costs above most else.

And finally, my gripe of the last five years, the safety systems. Kia and Hyundai still haven’t dialled their over-eager assistance tech back far enough. The speed-warning chimes remain as persistent as ever and will test your patience.

It feels a bit unusual to be welcoming a new Kia hatchback at the same time its Hyundai counterpart has bowed out of the segment (Ns aside), but the K4 hatch makes a strong case for why small cars still deserve attention.

It’s spacious, modern and genuinely pleasant to sit in, a big step forward from the Cerato and noticeably more up-to-date than the ageing Corolla and Mazda3.

On the road, the K4 is at its best in GT-Line form. The turbo engine brings proper punch, the chassis feels planted and secure, and it’s simply more enjoyable to drive than most SUVs it will be cross-shopped against.

The 2.0-litre models are fine around town, but they work hard when pushed, and the optional safety pack quickly erodes the value of the entry-level S.

Will it be a volume seller? Maybe, but definitely not a leading light. The small-car market isn’t what it used to be, but if you’re actually in the market for a traditional hatch, the K4 is a very welcome new addition; roomy, modern, good to drive and finally injecting something youthful into a segment that desperately needed it. And honestly, if Kia ever adds a hybrid option, it’s game over. A K4 hatch hybrid it would instantly become one of the most convincing small cars on sale.

2025 Kia K4 hatch at a glance:
Price: $32,090 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 110kW/180Nm
Transmission: continuously variable transmission
Fuel: 8.2L/100km
CO2: 139g/km
Safety rating: Four-star/Five-Star (ANCAP 2025)

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