Kia K4 Hatchback Review: So Close To Greatness

Kia has been really good at taking risks over the past decade. It created a sports sedan out of the blue, pioneered in really crowded segments, and largely led the charge (put intended) with EVs. So, when Kia announced it was building a small, cheap hatchback, people wondered if Kia was capable of conquering that segment, too.

The hatchback segment has been shrinking for some time now. Brands like Ford, General Motors, and Hyundai have all pulled out within the past few years. Yet, that didn’t stop Kia from bringing the K4 Hatchback to market to compete with industry giants like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. But can it?

The K4 Hatch is a very good-looking car. It takes all the weird stylistic choices of the sedan and mostly fixes them. I’m still not sold on the rear door handle implementation on the C-pillar, and we would like some more “GT” badges, given this is the GT-Line Turbo trim. But those are really our only knocks against the K4 when it comes to the exterior. The roofline is low, the tailgate looks great, and the light trim against the grey exterior of the car contrasts well. It all feels very “correct.”

Inside the K4 GT is where things get really special. Kia spent a lot of time and energy making its interiors feel new and tech-forward, especially compared to the Japanese brands. You get a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, as well as a digital driver’s display. Despite the large screens, there are still buttons for all the important features. No fumbling through menus for HVAC controls or to change the music. 

What’s more, visually, the red and black leather looks like it punches above its weight compared to the Civic or Corolla. But we use the term “punches above its weight” because, despite the looks, not all of the materials are up to par. While the heated and ventilated leather seats are great, there are some pretty nasty plastics scattered throughout the cabin. The doorcards feel particularly flimsy, and some parts of the center console, as well as the interior controls, feel ripped out of a Kia from days of yore. 

That’s a shame, because for a car that offers so much, like radar-guided cruise control, a 360-degree camera, and park-collision avoidance, it feels like the money went into putting as much stuff as possible in your face to distract you from the continued quality issues that Kia has faced over the years. And, unfortunately, it happens in the interior, where you’ll spend all your time.

Photos by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Photos by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

However, the K4’s back seat is in no way a bad place to be. The rear offers plenty of legroom even with the front seats pulled far back. There is an okay amount of rear headroom—38.3 inches—but don’t expect to be super comfortable if you’re taller than 6 feet 2 inches. It certainly does, from an equipment and stylistic perspective, clear its rivals out of the water.

The Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo hatchback is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine making 191 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission with a manual shift mode. 

Photo by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Despite having a small engine, the K4 drives like something more powerful. If you had told me that the K4 had 220 horses, I would have believed you. The throttle is punchy, and the probably pumped-in engine noises trick you into thinking you’re going faster than you really are. Even the CVT isn’t that bad—good job, Kia.

The handling is also spot on. The steering is nice and heavy in Sport mode, and the suspension is tuned well enough to make the K4 hatch feel more extreme than it actually is. It’s very refreshing compared to the less-than-spritely nature of some of its rivals.

The ride is easily the biggest downside to the K4. While highway driving is mostly smooth, the K4 is still stiffer than its rivals. This would be acceptable if it had more power to match whatever Kia did to the suspension, but 191 horsepower is not enough to justify it riding like a Civic Type R. Think of it like a Hyundai Veloster N, just without all of the stuff that makes it a proper hot hatchback.

Photos by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Photos by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Because the K4 has such a small engine, its fuel economy is solid. In the almost 500 miles I drove in the car, it averaged 31.5 miles per gallon, and that’s with driving it like we stole it. The car reached almost 34 mpg on the 200-mile highway drive from Baltimore to New York. 

The K4’s other Achilles’ heel in the powertrain department is the lack of a hybrid option. Despite the Hyundai Elantra, the K4’s sister car, having a hybrid option (along with virtually every other compact car for sale in the US), the K4 is by no means as good a hypermiler as the excellent Civic Hybrid is. 

Kia K4 Hatchback Verdict

Photo by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

The Kia K4 hatchback starts at $24,995 before the $1,250 destination fee. This makes it $2,700 more expensive than the equivalent K4 sedan. The model we drove, the top-of-the-range GT-Line Turbo, was just $32,770. This is about $1,500 less than a top-trim Honda Civic, but $3,900 more than the most expensive Toyota Corolla Hatchback. 

The K4 GT-Line is so, so close to being excellent. The value proposition of this car is better than that of most of its rivals, full stop. If you are looking for the most amount of car for the least amount of money, this is your ride. But, despite all the ground Kia has made in the quality control and reliability segments, there are just too many blemishes. 

What’s more, the lack of a dedicated hot hatch, or at least a higher-powered model, to build on how well the K4 drives is frustrating. A hybrid option would also be a huge addition. We just wish Kia would commit to the bit a little bit more. 

But Kia has not, so the K4 can’t be what it really wants to be. 

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