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Kia Motors Europe has detailed the K4 for the area, which initially will likely be completely bought as a Hatch (or 5DR) and supply a variety of turbocharged petrol engines – together with 48V mild-hybrids.
The Korean automaker is touting the K4’s “class-leading legroom and boot house”, with the previous quoted at 964mm and the latter at 438 litres.
At launch there will likely be 1.0 T-GDI and 1.6 T-GDI turbocharged petrol engines, with the smaller three-cylinder unit accessible with 48V mild-hybrid help.
The bigger 1.6-litre petrol, which will likely be provided in Europe and the UK in two states of tune, is paired completely with a seven-speed dual-clutch computerized and never an eight-speed computerized like in Australia.
Kia Europe has additionally confirmed “later in 2026, the powertrain lineup will likely be expanded to incorporate a full hybrid possibility”, indicating manufacturing of the K4 Hybrid (or HEV) will start within the new yr – Europe and the UK may also supply the K4 from Kia’s new plant in Mexico, like Australia.
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As with the Australian-market K4 Sedan, the K4 Hatch in Europe will likely be accessible with the model’s newest suite of in-car and driver help applied sciences.
These embody the Linked Automobile Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) with twin 12.3-inch driver and infotainment shows bookending a 5.3-inch local weather show; wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; Digital Key 2.0 permitting smartphones to unlock the automobile; in addition to Kia Join providers with over-the-air software program updates.
Additional, the K4 in Europe will supply Kia’s Blind-Spot View Monitor cameras, lively blind-spot and rear cross-traffic help with braking intervention, encompass parking cameras with 3D View projection, in addition to Ahead Collision-Avoidance Help 2 which is Kia-speak for autonomous emergency braking with automobile, pedestrian and bicycle owner detection.
The Kia K4 Hatch is predicted in Europe and the UK later this yr. Kia Australia launched the K4 Sedan in February, with the hatchback anticipated in late 2025.
When the K4 Hatch arrives within the fourth quarter, it should coincide with the launch of a extra environment friendly powertrain throughout each physique types of the new-generation small automobile.
The powertrain in query is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated with what Hyundai and Kia name an ‘IVT’ or Clever Variable Transmission. Successfully, it’s Hyundai/Kia-speak for a CVT, on sale regionally within the Seltos small SUV, and in addition used within the associated Hyundai i30 Sedan and Kona crossover.
Operating the extra environment friendly Atkinson cycle, the brand new engine makes barely much less grunt than the present 2.0-litre ‘MPI’ engine (110kW/180Nm versus 112kW/192Nm) however is claimed to be extra fuel-efficient, helped partially by the totally different transmission.
“The CO2 on that’s higher than even the 1.6 turbo – I feel it’s a couple of 30g/km enchancment [over the 2.0L MPI]. Whether or not we spec it with [idle stop/start] is TBC,” mentioned Roland Rivero, normal supervisor for product planning at Kia Australia, in June.
The present 2.0L MPI engine with a six-speed computerized within the K4 Sedan quotes mixed gasoline consumption of seven.4L/100km and CO2 emissions of 167g/km, whereas the extra highly effective 1.6 T-GDI engine within the GT-Line with its eight-speed auto quotes 6.7L/100km and 158g/km.
As but there’s nonetheless no phrase on when the K4 Hybrid or HEV may make it to Australia. It should nearly actually draw upon the 1.6-litre hybrid system used within the i30 Sedan and Kona, which makes 104kW and 265Nm and makes use of round 4.0L/100km on the mixed cycle.
Up to now in 2025, the at the moment sedan-only Kia K4 hasn’t fairly reached the gross sales heights of its standard Cerato predecessor, however has maintained an honest gross sales charge in a hatch-dominated market.
To the top of August, there have been 3855 new Kia K4s registered in Australia, equating to 10.3 per cent share of the small automobiles below $45,000 phase.
Whereas an honest outcome up to now, the K4’s YTD quantity pales in comparison with the hybrid-heavy Toyota Corolla (13,145), in addition to the Hyundai i30 household (7447) and Mazda 3 (7191). In the course of the January-August interval in 2024, the Cerato managed 11,217 models.
Kia Australia expects quantity to choose up now that the K4 has been crash-tested by ANCAP. Earlier this month all variations bar the bottom S with out Security Pack scored a five-star security ranking, which Mr Rivero mentioned in June “will open the door to fleets”.
Additional development is predicted on the tail-end of 2025 and into 2026 with the extra fascinating hatchback variant, in addition to the extra environment friendly base petrol engine possibility.
MORE: Discover the Kia K4 showroom
