Kia K4 GT-Line sedan 2025 Review

The 2025 Kia K4 is priced from $30,590 plus on-road costs (ORCs) for the base grade S sedan and tops out at $42,990 for the flagship K4 GT-Line sedan. In the middle are the Sport ($35,190) and Sport+ ($37,590) models.

All models come with alloy wheels (16-inchers on the S, 17s on the Sport and Sport+ and 18s on the GT-Line), while standard features on the bog-standard K4 S include keyless entry and engine start, cloth seat upholstery, DAB+ digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired and wireless), manual air conditioning, a six-speaker sound system, Kia Connect, over-the-air (OTA) updates, adaptive cruise control and power-folding mirrors.

The entry-level Kia K4 S is a bit spartan inside and misses out on the dual 12.3-inch digital screens present in all other model grades – until you purchase the safety pack, that is, which adds $2100 to the price and is arguably worth the extra outlay, given it also adds dual-zone climate control and front cross-traffic alert.

Mid-spec Sport and Sport+ trim levels get satellite navigation and a highway driving assistant while the Sport+ gains artificial leather upholstery, automatic wipers, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and heated front seats.

Top-spec Kia K4 GT-Line versions are pretty much the burger with the lot, fitted as standard with fancy alloy wheels, projector LED headlights and very fancy-looking front seats with heating and cooling, plus a power-adjustable driver’s chair and a wireless phone charger.

An eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system also makes the GT-Line grade as does a sportier exterior style.

While the new Kia K4 is about $3000 cheaper than the entry-level Corolla, bear in mind the price of the K4 is between $3500 and $6100 more expensive than the Kia Cerato it replaces.

Remote car monitoring and operation are in there as part of the Kia Connect system that pairs car and smartphone.

Safety systems are impressive given that all models come with seven airbags and a full suite of advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS as the anoraks call it. Some of the ‘safety’ features such as driver monitoring are annoying but can be turned off with a press and hold of one of the steering wheel buttons.

Two engine types are offered, with a rather flaccid 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (112kW/192Nm) fitted to all models except the flagship K4 GT-Line, which itself gets a more muscular and more responsive 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-banger (142kW/265Nm).

The 2.0-litre mill pumps through a conventional six-speed automatic driving the front wheels, while the GT-Line gets an eight-speed automatic cog-swapper.

Warranty provisions are pretty good, with Kia’s seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, while capped price servicing is quite expensive, costing $3877 over seven years, or roughly $553 per year. By way of comparison, the Toyota Corolla costs $250 per year to service for the first five years.

The non-turbo Kia K4 models are cheaper to service ($3225 over seven years, $460 per annum) and while the 12-month service intervals are the same for both Kia K4s, the turbo engine has 10,000km intervals versus 15,000km intervals.

There are some fairly wild paint jobs on offer, eight in total, including Honeydew, an interesting green hue. All colours cost $600 extra except for Clear White.

After spending half a day in the 2025 Kia K4, it’s fair to say the pros outweigh the cons. We’ll need to spend more time in the car to dig into its nuances but it’s fair to say the K4 is a better car than its predecessor, the Cerato, in almost every respect.

Let’s start with the interior, which now has a more contemporary look and feel. Material quality is rather slick too. In fact, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was an EV, such is its avant-garde décor… which is no surprise when you consider the cabin was lifted from the Kia EV5 and EV9 electric SUVs.

That means you get twin digital screens, an excellent infotainment interface, a funky steering wheel and clever storage features, all wrapped up in a chic ultra-modern design.

Even the seats look futuristic in the GT-Line and best of all they’re comfortable in all models.

Remote car control and monitoring is offered via the Kia Connect App – although I’m personally no fan of these systems due to privacy concerns.

The K4 is based on a significantly modified version of the Kia Cerato’s platform architecture – it’s 68mm longer and 49mm wider, which generates a huge amount of interior space. There’s loads of room up front and in the back seats, which come with twin shopping back hooks, air vents and dual USB-C ports.

The boot is absolutely huge, with 508 litres on offer.

Another good thing about the Kia K4 is the way it drives – it feels properly sorted across a wide range of scenarios. Smooth and comfy around town and a good freeway cruise, it’s also sharp enough in corners – Kia’s local suspension tuning has paid off.

Steering? Responsive. Ride? Composed. Benchmarked against the Volkswagen Golf and Honda Civic? Ambitious.

The 1.6-litre turbo engine isn’t groundbreaking but it’s punchy and the eight-speed auto is a solid match. We also had a quick blast in the base-spec K4 S and while the 2.0-litre petrol and six-speed auto pairing are diligent, they’ll struggle to accelerate up a hill with four adults and their gear on board.

None of the Kia K4 model grades come with a 360-degree parking camera system, which is disappointing. You do get a reversing camera and parking proximity sensors all round, but this is something you’d expect on a modern Asian small car.

As mentioned, the 2.0-litre non-turbo petrol engine is a bit flaccid and the price rises of between $3500 and $6100 is quite a leap over the Cerato.

Some 200,000 Kia Ceratos have found homes in Australia over the years, but it remains to be seen whether the lofty new pricing strategy can maintain the K4’s impressive run rate.

A space-saver spare seems like a bit of a cop out given all the space available in the boot but, given many new cars these days have no spare tyre whatsoever, this is a small mercy.

Also worth a mention in the negative column over here is the exterior design. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that but from where this writer stands, it looks a bit ungainly. But at least it’s not boring.

On balance, the bigger, bolder Kia K4 makes quite the impression and isn’t afraid to ruffle a few design feathers. Love it or squint at it in confusion, there’s no denying it’s a significant step up from the Cerato.

The interior is modern, the tech is slick, and the ride is properly dialled-in. The engines aren’t rewriting the rulebook but they get the job done and the eight-speed auto is a welcome improvement over the old DCT.

With a seven-year warranty, a substantial equipment list, and plenty of practicality and tech, the K4 makes a solid case for itself. It’s certainly whet our appetites for the Kia K4 hybrid hatchback, set to arrive late 2025.

2025 Kia K4 GT-Line at a glance:
Price: $42,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 142kW/265Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 158g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

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