2025 Kia K4 Sedan Teased ahead of New York Reveal

• Kia shows off the exterior of the upcoming Kia K4 compact sedan ahead of the New York auto show.
  

• Replacing the Kia Forte, the K4 compact sedan will follow the formula laid out by the K5, which replaced the Kia Optima.

• Kia plans to fully reveal the details of its K4 compact sedan at this year’s New York International Auto Show.

Kia Forte fans, the future is coming. After teasing it earlier this year, Kia is showing off its next-generation compact sedan. Flying under the K4 banner, this small sedan will likely replace the current Forte nameplate.

Even though Kia has shown off how this K4 looks, the company is holding back a lot of information about the upcoming compact sedan until the New York International Auto Show, where the car is scheduled to make its full reveal.

Currently, the Kia Forte sports either a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter I4 under the hood or a 1.6-liter turbocharged I4 in GT guise. It’s hard to say what Kia plans to do under the K4’s hood, but it’s doubtful this is going to pack a battery under the seats.

Expect a traditional ICE powertrain from the K4 just by following the Kia EV naming conventions. Currently, a manual-equipped Forte exists, which we hope makes the jump over to the new generation.

While we’re still waiting on powertrain details, we can see the rest of what makes this K4 new. The dimensions remain under lock and key, but we can assume it’s going to be slightly larger than the current Forte.

The K4’s front facia and front lighting array fall in line with the company’s latest efforts, and it looks modern. Vertical headlamps sit below the dramatic daytime running lights and flank a thin grille opening.

Looking at the side, it seems like Kia decided to hide the rear door handles at the top of the door frame, which gives the K4 a sportier, two-door look while keeping the functionality of four doors.

At the rear, you’ll see a lighting array similar to the Kia K5, a wild vertical C-pillar design, and a trunk lid. There’s also a diffuser-inspired lower bumper cover, which adds another sporty element to this compact sedan.

Kia also showed off the K4’s interior, which follows the current Kia trends. Without disclosing any dimensions, we can see that Kia has installed a massive screen in certain variants of the K4.

Considering this screen is an essential part of the dash, it’s likely that even the most entry-level models will see a similar design, but we’ll find that out soon. This screen shows a digital driver's display, which features a tachometer—another hint that there will be a gas engine up front.

We can also see a pair of USB-C charging ports, a traditional console-shifted automatic transmission, and a handful of buttons to control the car’s media system. We don’t see any climate control buttons, which means they’re probably baked into the screen.

Pricing and availability are also still up in the air. Expect a small bump over the current Forte’s starting price of $21,145. However, this hotly contested entry-level sedan space might keep the price from creeping too high.

What do you think of the Kia K4? Tell us your thoughts below.