At the 2024 New York International Auto Show, Kia unveiled its anticipated replacement for the Forte sedan in the form of the brand-new Kia K4. The next-gen compact sedan boasts more room than its predecessor, a raft of new technology and a top-spec GT-Line option with a 190-hp, turbocharged 1.6L 4-cylinder engine and standard multi-link rear suspension.
That’s all well and good, but the most exciting reveal came a little more than halfway through Kia’s K4 presentation, when the brand revealed — briefly — a five-door hatchback version of the K4 that looks absolutely killer. So have we got a new Korean hot hatch on our hands? Here’s what we know so far about the K4 5-Door.
The styling is on point
While we only have a few images of the K4 hatchback, it’s clear that the car shares the same sleek styling as the sedan. It boasts the same sharp-angled LED light assemblies for the headlamps and taillights, it utilizes the same hidden rear door handles for a suicide-door look and it maintains the sedan’s fastback styling, but executed in more of a shooting brake-like fashion that looks, frankly, fantastic.
There will be a GT-Line variant
Kia didn’t share any information about specific powertrains in the K4 5-Door, so we can assume the hatchback will probably be offered with the same engine options as the four-door variant. That means a standard 2.0L four-cylinder engine making 147hp and 132 lb.-ft. of torque, or a 1.6L turbocharged i4 putting out 190hp and 195 lb.-ft. of torque.
There’s no manual option on the sedan, so we don’t expect to see one on the hatchback either. The standard engine is matched to an IVT, while the turbo gets an eight-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
