2025 Kia K4 hybrid wanted, hatchback coming

The new 2025 Kia K4 small car touched down on Aussie terra firma this month priced from just over $30,000.

But right now it’s only available as a sedan and there’s no fuel-sipping hybrid powertrains to match its arch-rival, the Toyota Corolla.

The K4, which replaces the Cerato name in Australia (and the Forte and K3 names overseas), is available as a small sedan in four trim levels with either a 2.0-litre petrol or a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine.

The more popular hatchback body style is due here in late 2025.

But buyers waiting for a hybrid option can expect the K4 hybrid to launch in Australia roughly the same time the hatchback does. However, European markets will take precedence for the hybrid powertrain initially, which means it may slip into 2026.

Kia Australia’s general manager of product planning, Roland Rivero, said the hybrid K4 hasn’t been officially locked in for Aussie buyers but stated that NVES regulations (requiring lower CO2 outputs across a manufacturers entire vehicle portfolios) will push its introduction higher up the agenda.

“We certainly have a hand up for one knowing, obviously, what's coming our way in the second half of 2025.

“We're looking at all powertrain options to navigate through NVES,” he said.

The Kia K4 hybrid will almost certainly leverage the same plug-less petrol-electric powertrain seen in the Hyundai i30 Sedan Hybrid, which combines a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a low-output electric motor and a 1.3kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack.

The hybrid system outputs a combined 104kW/265Nm and drives the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Claimed fuel consumption for the Hyundai is 3.9L/100km, which is reasonably frugal, and can be expected to be similar in the Kia K4.

Asked if the Kia K4 hatchback arriving in late 2025 would herald the local launch of a hybrid powertrain, Rivero parried the question, responding: “The hatchback will come with a full [model] range, much like the sedan, and powertrain options and whatnot will be announced closer to on sale.”

The hatchback has traditionally been a stronger seller than the sedan in Australia, roughly accounting for 60 per cent of Cerato sales.

So why did Kia launch only with the sedan? Logistics.

The new K4 is built in Mexico, and Kia’s product planning boss said sedan manufacturing takes priority because that’s the body style favoured in the US – one of its biggest and most lucrative markets.

“The factory gears up initially for the sedan, with North America being one of the major markets," he said.

But there’s also an element of trepidation around its point of origin, explained Rivero, implying that tariffs could have an effect on some markets.

“It's coming out of Mexico – so who knows what happens when Trump finally takes the seat. But in effect the sedan is prioritised first and the hatchback for Australia and for Europe comes next.

“From an Aussie market perspective, we anticipate hatchback will be the bigger seller, with a 60:40 [sales split], which is roughly what we had for Cerato.”

The Cerato historically accounted for around one in five Kia new car sales in Australia, or roughly 20 per cent of Kia’s local sales, meaning the K4 will be a crucial vehicle as the brand forecasts record sales in 2025 of 90,000 units. It accumulated just over 81,000 new vehicle sales in 2024.

The Korean car importer expects the new K4 to deliver similar sales volumes to the Cerato, despite price rises of between $3500 and $6000.

Unlike the Cerato, however, don’t expect a hot hatch 'GT' hero model to take pride of place within the 139 Kia dealerships across the nation.

Kia’s product planning chief stated there were “no plans for a Kia K4 GT at this stage”.

Stay tuned for our first drive of the new Kia K4 on Aussie roads from Friday January 31, 2025.

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