The 2025 Kia K4 Starts at $23,145 — That's $2,000 More Than a Forte

But you do get a heck of a lot more goodies for the money

written by Nick Yekikian^{Senior News Editor
Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.}
edited by Kathleen Clonts^{Copy Chief
Kathleen Clonts has worked in the automotive industry since 2014 and has copy-edited thousands of vehicle reviews and stories about cars and the auto industry in that time. Kathleen is the Edmunds editorial team's copy chief and previously worked as the senior copy editor for Automobile Magazine.}
8/13/2024
Share:

Pricing for the 2025 Kia K4 has been announced.
It's more than the Forte, but that was to be expected.
Even so, the days of the sub-$20,000 car are almost gone.

Get More Edmunds Car News in Your Inbox

It's not often we get an entirely new take on a compact sedan. But Kia has taken up the gauntlet and given us a brand-new small sedan called the K4. Remember the Forte? That name's dead and gone now and the K4 is its replacement. It's got Kia's latest tech duds and an interior that looks and feels thoroughly modern. It might cost $2,000 more than the Forte it replaces, but these updates and the new bodywork might just be worth paying for.

The K4 lineup starts with the LX and it'll set you back $23,145. It comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque) under the hood and is paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels. In fact, all models save for the top-of-the-line K4 GT-Line Turbo (which uses a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine making 190 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque) will use the base 2.0-liter motor.

The next steps in the proverbial K4 ladder are the LXS and the EX, which will cost $24,145 and $25,145, respectively. Kia hasn't detailed what kind of extra kit the K4's trim levels will get just yet, but we do know that wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard across the range alongside 11 standard driver assistance features.

The top two trims for the K4 are the GT-Line and the aforementioned GT-Line Turbo. The GT-Line costs from $26,345 and the turbocharged model will set you back a relatively steep $29,245. GT-Line models are always Kia's best-equipped cars. They also include more aggressive bodywork (and are the ones seen in the photos here). These are the models that will receive heated and cooled seats, the Harman Kardon audio system, and the 30 available inches of screen as either standard or optional kit. Again, Kia hasn't fully detailed the K4's lineup.

That said, you can expect core K4 models to hit dealers in September of this year. GT-Line models will be here in November while GT-Line Turbo models will find their way to our shores at the start of 2025.

by Nick Yekikian

Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.

edited by Kathleen Clonts

Kathleen Clonts has worked in the automotive industry since 2014 and has copy-edited thousands of vehicle reviews and stories about cars and the auto industry in that time. Kathleen is the Edmunds editorial team's copy chief and previously worked as the senior copy editor for Automobile Magazine.