► Kia K4 is new VW Golf rival
► Replaces Ceed in the UK
► Promise space and tech galore
Kia has been on a roll recently with its electric vehicle (EV) line-up – but proof that it hasn’t forgotten its more… traditional customers comes with the arrival of this, the new Kia K4.
Replacing the now defunct Kia Ceed in the UK and on sale from quarter four of 2025, the K4 looks sharp and is packed with tech – which is pretty standard for modern Kia. However, under the bonnet there’s something called a petrol engine, rather than a bundle of wires and an electric motor.
It does, doesn’t it – a little like a conventional family hatchback on the first pass through a pasta maker. This is a proportions thing to some extent; at 4,440mm long and 1,435mm high it’s nearly 16cm longer but also 5cm lower than a Volkswagen Golf.
Even so, this does translate into apparent spaciousness, with Kia claiming more rear legroom than anything else in class and an impressive 438-litre boot – and if you’re shopping for a family car, that kind of stat does quickly come to be the kind of thing that impresses you. However, it is worth noting that mild-hybrid K4s see luggage space shrink to 328 litres, which is less stimulating. The Golf’s boot is 381 litres.
At 1,850mm wide, the K4 is also over 6cm wider than the Golf (not including the door mirrors), so will likely have a decent amount of road presence. If also be more of a pain in tighter car parks.
K4 GT-Line variants will feature gloss-black exterior accents, 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels, and a sportier three-spoke steering wheel.
Probably feels a bit old fashioned to some of you now, but this is a brand new model that you can put explosive juice into. The European line-up promises a choice of five internal combustion engines, starting with the 114bhp 1.0-litre T-GDI. This is available in regular and mild-hybrid flavours, the latter optionally fitted with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto in place of the standard six-speed manual.
Above the entry-level is a pair of 1.6-litre T-GDI engines, one with 148bhp, the other with 177bhp. Both of these get a seven-speed dual-clutch auto as standard. Later, in 2026, a ‘full hybrid’ will also be offered.
It’s unclear at this stage exactly which engines will be sold in the UK, but our intel suggest we’re only likely to get the mild-hybrid version of the 1.0-litre, with higher spec cars also available with 1.6-litre power.
There are a couple of punchy strands to this. The interior, for instance, gets twin 12.3-inch screens for infotainment and instrumentation, plus a 5.3-inch screen for the climate control. All three are joined adjacently to create a single panoramic experience across the top of the dashboard.
The infotainment is run by Kia’s latest connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) software, which is reasonably intuitive in our experience but not unmissable. Every model also gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with wireless phone charging promised on higher trims.
Further internal highlights include a Harman Kardon hi-fi system, heated and ventilated front seats, Digital Key 2.0 technology, and ‘Hey Kia’ voice control. The cabin doesn’t exactly look a thrill a minute visually, but the ‘bio-based’ artificial leather appears smart enough in a conservative fashion.
The other major tech strand is a high level of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
In addition to latest-generation anti-collision gear – that works going forwards, backwards and while changing lanes – Kia is also promising ‘Smart Cruise Control 2’ that can safely halt the car entirely should the drive become ‘unresponsive’ and ‘Highway Driving Assist 2.0’ that can help with lane changing as well as centring and distance control.
Blind spot monitoring includes a camera view of the blind spots when indicating (likely only on top spec variants), and there’s a 360-degree surround view monitoring system available as well.
No word on pricing at this stage, but given the promised standard kit expect competitive rather than bargainous.
And while UK trim levels haven’t been confirmed, the K4 is likely to follow the three-rung pattern of other Kias – so along the lines of Pure, GT-Line and GT-Line S.
We’ll update this page with further info as soon as we have more.
CJ is a former Associate Editor of CAR, and now runs parent company Bauer Media’s Digital Automotive Hub – the in-house team that provides much of the online content for CAR and sister site Parkers.co.uk as well as helping out with CAR magazine. He’s been writing about cars professionally (if that's the right word) for nearly two decades, though attempts to hide this fact with an extensive moisturising routine.
By CJ Hubbard
Head of the Bauer Digital Automotive Hub and former Associate Editor of CAR. Road tester, organiser, reporter and professional enthusiast, putting the driver first
