2025 Kia K4 GT-Line Review

The K4 is Kia’s next-generation replacement for the iconic Cerato, a sedan and hatchback range that has seen massive success here in Australia since its introduction two decades ago.

Kia’s K4 aims to pick up where the Cerato left off, adding a larger footprint, sleek new styling package, revamped interior designs with the company’s latest tech and a modern suite of safety tech.

Is it enough to win over buyers from the comparative small SUV segment, though, and which of the Kia K4 lineup remains the best option for you?

To find out, we got behind the wheel of the range-topping K4 GT-Line to see whether there’s enough substance underneath Kia’s latest, fashionable, small car and which is the pick of the bunch.

Kia K4 Competition

How Much Does It Cost?

Prices for the MY25 Kia K4 lineup kick off from $30,590 for the entry-level K4 S and stretch out to $42,990 for this range-topping K4 GT-Line.

Mid-range members of the K4 family, like the K4 Sport and the Sport+ are priced at $35,190 and $37,590, respectively.

• MY25 Kia K4 S - $30,590

• MY25 Kia K4 S with Safety Pack - $32,690

• MY25 Kia K4 Sport - $35,190

• MY25 Kia K4 Sport+ - $37,590

• MY25 Kia K4 GT-Line - $42,990 (tested)

Keep in mind that these prices are subject to change and do not include on-road costs.

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Kia K4 GT-Line Specifications

What Features Does the Kia K4 GT-Line Have?

Sitting at the very top of the range, the K4 GT-Line picks up a very long list of features.

Specific to the K4 GT-Line, there’s a set of bespoke 18-inch alloys joined by a GT-Line styling package with a black grille, projector LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, two-tone leatherette upholstery with a power-adjustable driver’s seat, an upgraded and heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, ventilated front seats and a wireless charging pad.

It also gains all the features you’ll find in lower-ranking versions, like the solar glass windscreen, heated front seats, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, a rear-view camera with front & rear parking sensors, LED tail lights and a solid infotainment and safety tech package we’ll cover in respective sections of this review.

Connectivity & Infotainment Features

All versions of the Kia K4 lineup, from the entry-level K4 S to the range-topping GT-Line come equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system sitting proudly atop the dashboard. 

It’s a serious upgrade from the outgoing Cerato’s tech offering that holds its own with the best infotainment systems you can get for the money, particularly in the K4 base model.

In the GT-Line, the K4’s 12.3-inch infotainment system is paired seamlessly with a 5.0-inch climate display and the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that presents as one, long wall of displays that certainly adds to its premium nature.

Buyers looking for the eye-catching displays at a lesser price also have the option of the K4 S with Safety Pack, which picks up the trio of displays.

Kia’s displays are amongst the best in the segment at this price, presenting great brightness levels, high resolution graphics and enough processing power underneath to keep things feeling smooth.

There’s a six-speaker sound system for the majority of the K4 range, while this GT-Line version picks up a much more powerful eight-speaker Harman/Kardon system.

Buyers also pick up over-the-air software updates and a seven year subscription to the Kia Connect suite.

All up, the infotainment offering in the K4 range is very solid and made more impressive by the fact there’s a 12.3-inch display packaged into the base model.

Does the Kia K4 Have Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto?

Kia’s K4 range infotainment system comes powered by the company’s latest tech, which offers wireless smartphone mirroring for both iOS and Android ecosystems.

That means that, once paired, you can leave your phone in your pocket or place it on the GT-Line’s wireless charging pad while accessing wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

In our time behind the wheel, the K4’s wireless Apple CarPlay worked flawlessly. It was simple to pair our phone, quick to recognise it upon start-up and didn’t drop its connection once.

Is the Kia K4 Comfortable to Drive?

The K4 presents a seriously mature driving package with great on-road manners, especially around town.

It’s a cliche to say at this point, that the Koreans are hell-bent on catching up with their European rivals, however, the K4 is proof that Kia has closed the gap and offers a very dynamic and refined set of abilities for the price.

Under the skin, the K4 rides on the same platform you’ll find underpinning the Hyundai i30 Sedan, with much the same engine lineup on offer.

Though unfortunately, for now at least, the Kia K4 range makes do without a fuel-efficient hybrid option which will surely be arriving here in Australia in the next 12 months or so.

Base versions of the K4 come powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol that produces 112kW of power and 192Nm of torque which is adequate, but certainly nothing to get excited about.

The K4 GT-Line picks up a more powerful 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol that pushes out 142kW of power and 265Nm of torque, transforming the K4 into a much more urgent and purposeful package behind the wheel.

The 1.6-litre turbo is a great little engine that, for some buyers, will be reason enough to spend the extra and upgrade to the K4 GT-Line.

Around town, the K4 impressed us with its refinement on the road, though we were quite surprised with the weight of the steering, even with the ‘eco’ drive mode engaged.

We quite like a weighty steering rack, so no complaints there, though it suggests that Kia is once again eyeing-off some Euro rivals with its chunky steering feel in the K4.

That said, it remains super easy to throw around in a car park, though the K4’s stature might take you by surprise for what is marketed as a small car.

Pick up the pace and the K4 feels lovely behind the wheel, with an agile front end that darts through a roundabout and offers some frankly dynamic abilities that, coupled with the turbocharged engine, give it charisma.

It’s a confident city runaround, though some buyers should take note that the range-topper isn’t the most versatile in the bunch if you frequent rougher country roads.

That’s because the GT-Line picks up a multi-link suspension package at the rear which certainly aids with dynamics, but makes for a less forgiving setup over bumps than the rest of the K4 range, which receives a torsion beam at the rear.

The GT-Line’s suspension can feel a touch firm around town, though overall it does a fantastic job ironing out smaller bumps while keeping things nice and settled in the corners.

Overall, Kia has done a great job with the K4, especially when it comes to giving it a local suspension tune for Australian roads that makes it super confident and refined behind the wheel.

Is it Fuel Efficient?

It’s a fair assumption that the pursuit of extra pace in the K4 GT-Line means it will be less fuel efficient than the base petrol lineup, though this is not the case.

On a combined cycle, the K4 GT drinks 6.7L per 100km which is notably more efficient than the base 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit’s 7.4L per 100km figures.

In our time behind the wheel, we covered 674 kilometres and averaged 6.7L per 100km, perfectly matching Kia’s claimed fuel economy figures.

• Kia K4 2.0-litre four-cylinder fuel economy: 7.4L/100km

• Kia K4 1.6-litre turbocharged fuel economy: 6.7L/100km (claimed)

• Kia K4 1.6-litre turbocharged fuel economy: 6.7L/100km (tested)

All K4 versions come equipped with a 47L fuel tank and can sip 91 RON fuel.

Is it Practical and Spacious?

While it’s marketed as a small car, the K4 has a pretty substantial footprint and offers no shortage of interior acreage and practical touches.

This means that the K4 gives comparable small SUVs, even some medium-sized SUVs a serious run for their money on the practicality front.

As we’ve mentioned, the K4 shares its platform with the Hyundai i30 Sedan, which is quite a good thing when it comes to its interior design and ability to swallow up passengers and luggage in the large boot.

Climb aboard and the GT-Line’s cabin is one of the sharpest in the segment.

While base versions are guilty of feeling a little bit cheap in places, particularly with the amount of scratchy plastics, Kia has done a great job in giving the flagship a sharp, modern and premium cabin that definitely looks on part for the price tag.

Kia also utilises a range of more premium-feeling soft touch points to keep those upgrading to the pricier GT-Line version happy with their purchase, with the overall design remaining clean and uncluttered.

The steering wheel is nice and chunky, while there’s no scratchy plastics used anywhere across the door sills or dashboard, just a slice surrounding the gear lever.

Ergonomics are also very solid, with the low-slung driving position lending to a sportier feel in the driver’s seat while offering decent headroom for tall front occupants, even with the sunroof in place. 

Forward and side visibility are solid, even though the dashboard does raise quite prominently, while rear visibility is very compromised due to the angled area behind the rear seat backs.

In terms of storage, there’s a decent range of options in the centre console, which houses a rubber-lined tray which doubles as a wireless charging pad and features two neat little elevated points that hold your phone in place while cornering.

There’s also the usual set of cup holders that can be retracted away to accommodate larger objects, an average-sized cubby inside the armrest and enough space inside the door sills for a 1.25-litre bottle.

Move to the rear and the K4 asserts itself as a seriously practical small car package.

Adults won’t have an issue seated in the rear unless the driver is extremely tall, and even then, it’s still possible.

That’s because the rear armrests don’t stretch forward all the way, leaving you with a neat little area to stash your outside knee if you’re tall behind an extremely leggy driver.

Headroom is tight for tall rear occupants, with just a finger’s worth of real estate between our head and the roofliner, likewise, cabin width is a bit tight for comfortable three-abreast seating.

The fact is, though, these are challenges you wouldn’t really expect a small car to pass and we found ourselves putting the K4 up against far larger vehicles than rivals in the small car segment.

To be clear, it falls short of a medium sedan package like the Camry, though offers far more accommodation than you’ll find in something like a Corolla.

With ample leg room on offer and a comfortable rear bench, the K4’s rear seats are a very family-friendly proposition.

Amenities include a set of rear air vents, a small storage nook, two USB-C ports, small bottle holders, a folding armrest with cupholders and netted map pockets.

There’s two pairs of ISOFIX anchors in the outboard seats and three top tether mounts hiding behind the headrests.

Parents should also take note of the fact the K4’s doors are super long, which may prove a bit cumbersome in tighter car parks and even dangerous if you don’t trust your kids.

How Big is the Kia K4’s Boot?

The Kia K4 offers boot space figures that put most rivals in the small car segment to shame, including comparable small SUVs and even give medium sized sedans and SUV packages a serious run for their money.

The K4’s boot measures a very impressive 508L with the rear seats in play and can confidently eat up wide objects like a set of golf clubs thanks to its broad rear haunches.

Fold the 60:40 split rear seats down and you’ve got even more room to play with when it comes to long bits of cargo, though you are ultimately restricted by the narrowing tunnel between the boot and rear cabin.

Underneath the boot floor, the K4 picks up a space-saver spare tyre.

Is it Safe?

Safety is another area the K4 leaps into the modern day over the outgoing Cerato, though Kia hasn’t rolled out its full suite of active safety tech to every member of the range.

All members of the K4 range pick up AEB with vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection alongside junction support, blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane-keep assist with lane-centring, driver attention alerts, safe exit alerts and a rear-view camera with front & rear parking sensors.

Upgrading to the K4 S with the optional Safety Pack adds an upgraded AEB system with junction crossing assist and both direct and oncoming lane-change detection.

The K4 Sport and GT-Line pick up Kia’s latest Highway Driving Assist II system which combines the adaptive cruise control with lane centring and adds lane-change assist.

All up, while Kia’s active safety gear remains overly conservative with the usual mix of beeps and bongs, the company should be applauded for making it such a simple process to silence the chorus with a long-press of the mute button.

At the time of writing, the Kia K4 range remains untested by ANCAP.

What Warranty does the Kia K4 Come With?

Kia offers the K4 range with its rock-solid seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with up to eight years’ worth of roadside assistance on offer if you keep it serviced on time and within the network.

Buyers also pick up seven years’ worth of capped price servicing, prices for which can be found below for both the 2.0-litre and 1.6-litre turbocharged engines.

• K4 2.0-litre Seven Year Capped Price Servicing Cost - $3,225

• K4 1.6-litre turbo Seven Year Capped Price Servicing Cost - $3,877

Service intervals for 2.0-litre petrol K4 variants sit at 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, dropping to 10,000 kilometres in the case of the GT-Line’s 1.6-litre turbo engine.

Our Verdict: Is the Kia K4 Worth it?

The Kia K4 won us over with its excellent on-road dynamics and serious practicality for the small car segment.

Everything from its confidence on the road, upgraded technology lists, improved efficiency and far larger footprint make the K4 a worthy successor to the Cerato and present buyers with some outstanding value for money and SUV-rivaling practicality.

That said, the K4 in range-topping GT-Line form has its value proposition somewhat weakened when you consider the price differences between lower-ranking members.

For now, though, Kia reserves its lovely 1.6-litre turbocharged engine for the GT-Line, leaving you up a certain creek if you want to get behind the wheel of the best powertrain in a more affordable variant.

It may prove reason enough to upgrade, while a seriously long list of features won’t leave you feeling too short-changed in the K4 GT-Line.

If you’re looking at the K4, keep in mind that a hatchback version is set to arrive later in the year and a hybrid powertrain will likely be on the horizon in the near future.

Don’t forget that our team of car-buying experts is also waiting on hand to help find your dream car at the best possible price, so reach out today!

Five Kia K4 Specs You Need to Know

1. Seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty

2. Eight years’ roadside assist, seven years’ capped-price servicing available

3. 6.7 - 7.4L per 100km fuel economy figures (1.6T vs 2.0-litre petrol)

4. 508L boot space figures

5. Unrated by ANCAP