On Thursday, Kia dropped the teaser of its all-new Sedan to replace the existing Forte. The newcomer will be known by the K4 moniker, previously applied to a small sedan that Kia only offered for sale in China. Before its official debut at the 2024 New York auto show one week later, the K4 will make its public debut on March, 21. As a 2025 model, it ought to hit showrooms later this year.
Expectedly, not much is known about the upcoming K4 sedan. But given that it doesn't have the EV suffix found on items like the Niro and doesn't adhere to the EV6 or EV9 naming convention, we can assume it won't be an EV.
Kia Forte Powertrain and Expected Powertrain of K4
At the moment, Kia uses the Forte to fill the market in compact sedans. The Forte can be purchased with a manual gearbox for $21,145. The standard 2.0-liter I4 engine produces 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque when mated to a Kia Intelligent Variable Transmission. Under the hood of the manual-equipped Kia Forte GT is a 1.6-liter turbocharged I4 engine producing 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque.
Although it's difficult to predict what will change with the K4, aside from style, some internal modifications. Additionally, we expect an increase in the base price.
Spy Details of K4
Compared to the third-generation Forte, which made its debut in 2018, the new Kia sedan adopts a more upscale look, as we first saw in the prototypes we saw during testing. Sharp lines on the prominent fenders, more streamlined LED lighting units that reach the bumpers, and a streamlined fastback-style silhouette with what seems to be an unduly complicated rear pillar design are what set it apart from its more ordinary predecessor.
This time, the Korean manufacturer refrained from providing detailed technical details, but it does guarantee that the K4 will establish “new standards for design, innovation, and driving appeal to the compact sedan sector”. Furthermore, Kia refers to "advanced technology," which probably refers to a contemporary digital cockpit and some driver assistance features.
The spy photographs also captured a contemporary digital cockpit featuring an enormous screen that houses the infotainment system and instrument panel, along with several physical buttons underneath
Overall it is suggestive that the K4 will have a faster, fastback design than the Forte. It appears that the K4 will surpass the Forte in size as well. Kia intends to produce more than a dozen electric vehicles by 2027, but the K4 won't run on batteries. There are plans for petrol engines, possibly even in a hybrid setup. In the same market as the K4, Kia intends to release an EV4 hatchback for EV enthusiasts. The carmaker hasn't confirmed the EV5 electric compact crossover for the US market, despite having shown it.
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