New Kia K4 Hatch arrives as a new Kia that’s NOT an EV

The Kia K4 arrives as an indirect replacement for the Kia Ceed, and as a competitor for the VW Golf, with ICE-only powertrains.

Kia has gone big on EVs in recent years, but, thankfully, it’s not forgotten that it’s ICE that pays the bills and has announced the new Kia K4 Hatch is coming to the UK to tackle the VW Golf and mop up sales from those who want a Ford Focus but soon won’t be able to buy one. And it’s ICE-only with just a smidge of electrical assistance.

That means a 1.0-litre T-GDi petrol with 113bhp and manual ‘box or a 1.6-litre T-GDi petrol with either 148bhp or 178bhp and seven-speed auto, and a full hybrid option to follow.

Effectively an indirect replacement for the now-defunct Kia Ceed, the K4 is a bit longer than a VW Golf, with a floating roofline, Star Map lighting borrowed from the EV9, hidden door handles in the C-pillar, and a sporty look for GT-Line models.

Inside, the K4 gets a single panel housing a 12.3″ screen for driver display and another for infotainment, as well as a small climate control screen, and actual knobs for stuff like volume and Climate, and a wide range of ADAS nannies from Rear Cross Traffic to Smart Cruise.

No price for the Kia K4 yet, but it’s likely to start the right side of £30k when it goes on sale later in the year.