Kia K4 review finds there is still ‘family value' in Cerato replacement
There are big tyre prints to fill for the Kia K4.
It's the replacement for the compact Cerato, which has traditionally been one of the biggest sellers for the Korean brand Down Under.
The Cerato was popular for good reason. It was one of the best value products on the market – so good that there is one in our garage.
Larger than before, bordering on Toyota Camry size, for now the K4 is just available as a sedan with a hatch derivative to come.
No frills models can be in your driveway for $32,990 drive-away, although the best value comes once you step further up the specifications tree.
Our family tested the range-topping GT-Line, which comes with all the fruit and a turbocharged petrol engine for $46,990 on the road.
What do you get?
Certainly the most aggressive looking of the K4 bunch, the GT-Line has a low-slung stance sitting on low profile 18-inch alloys, along with exclusive front and rear bumpers and a black grille.
Inside, there are heated and cooled front seats trimmed in faux leather with a GT stamp below the headrests, alloy pedals, eight-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo, sunroof and the now quintessential Kia dash featuring twin digital 12.3-inch displays (one for the driver and the other for infotainment) linked by a 5-inch aircon readout.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the range along with USB-C ports front and back, while the GT-Line also picks up a wireless phone charging pad.
Like the big EV9, the K4 has over the air tech updates, so the latest satnav maps, interfaces and software enhancements can be done without visiting a dealer.
White is the only no-cost colour option, with grey, red, blue, pastel green, black and a pearl white adding $600.
Turbo models require servicing annually or every 10,000km, whereby naturally aspirated models lengthen to 15,000km.Capped price servicing is available with the total cost of $3842 for seven maintenance visits – that's an average of about $550 and about $15 more expensive per service than the non-turbo models.
Overall servicing costs are typically more expensive with Kia than some rivals, with the Toyota Camry hybrid costing on average $343 for seven services. But Kia does have a long list of inclusions, so it's worth checking the fine print.
Kia's seven-year warranty was one of the pivotal reasons its cars became popular in Australia. Other brands like Nissan and Mitsubishi have now pushed to 10 years (with some servicing caveats), but five remains the most popular minimum.
How was the drive?
European quality resonates from the K4 ride.
Like all Kias, the K4 underwent Australian testing and analysis. Suspension changes are then made at the factory to better suit local conditions.
The GT-Line has a fancier multi-link suspension set-up at the rear compared to the other K4s and while the overall performance felt firm on occasions, it was surprisingly nimble in the bends and remained composed during quick changes in direction.
Despite having a turbocharged four-cylinder under the bonnet, the GT-Line isn't raucous or setting new performance benchmarks. There is a nice exhaust tune, but it's more a grand tourer with a focus on comfort and efficiency – our test saw average fuel consumption of 7.7L/100km, which is one litre more than the official figure from Kia.
The eight-speed automatic gearbox replaces the seven-speed found in the Cerato GT, which shifts well and doesn't have the hesitation of the old dual-clutch box.
Would you buy one?
Kel: Our Cerato Sport+ has been a brilliant car, I love it for the ease of operation and features for the price tag. Technology takes a hefty step forward in the K4 and I felt like the ride quality was comparable to the European big guns. But the sedan probably isn't my style, so I'd wait for the hatch or opt for the Sportage SUV.
Grant: Prices have risen with the K4, which does dilute the bang-for-buck factor. To obtain the Cerato equivalent we'd be looking at an extra investment of about $7000. All facets have moved forward, especially the ride improvements which paves the way for a go-fast version. Collectively the tech advances, seven-year warranty and the strong specification list keep the K4 in Australia's best value list.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Chaz Mostert dominates Perth Supercars qualifying, hits Back at recent online abuse
Don't miss out on the headlines from Motorsport. Followed categories will be added to My News. Chaz Mostert fired back at the online critics who reckon he's too old to cut it in Supercars by claiming his first pole position in over a year at the Perth Super 440 on Saturday. The 33-year-old Mostert turned back the clock and unleashed a sizzling lap in his Ford Mustang to jump to the top of the timesheets after the first split qualifying session. Crossing the line in 53.685 seconds, Mostert secured pole position for first of the three races at Wanneroo Raceway this weekend, and Race 14 for the 2025 season. Chaz Mostert claimed pole position in his Ford Mustang for the first of three Supercars races in Perth Monster's pole was the 26th of his Supercars career and his first since he started at the front of the grid at Perth in May 2024. Mostert's Walkinshaw Andretti United team mate Ryan Wood locked out the front row with the second best time, with Brodie Kostecki third and championship leader Broc Feeney fourth. 'It's always nervous coming 12 months from a good result,' Mostert told Fox Sports. 'I'm glad I had a really fast teammate, tuned me up on a bit of driving, and just sent it in and came out on the other side. 'The simple work is that there's a few internet trolls out there that basically say, 'you're done; since you have a kid and wife you lose two tenths'. 'So I'm glad to show you can find two tenths by having kids and wife, so thanks to the trolls out there, appreciate you.' Originally published as Chaz Mostert dominates Perth Supercars qualifying, hits Back at recent online abuse
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Chaz Mostert dominates Perth Supercars qualifying, hits Back at recent online abuse
Chaz Mostert fired back at the online critics who reckon he's too old to cut it in Supercars by claiming his first pole position in over a year at the Perth Super 440 on Saturday. The 33-year-old Mostert turned back the clock and unleashed a sizzling lap in his Ford Mustang to jump to the top of the timesheets after the first split qualifying session. Crossing the line in 53.685 seconds, Mostert secured pole position for first of the three races at Wanneroo Raceway this weekend, and Race 14 for the 2025 season. Monster's pole was the 26th of his Supercars career and his first since he started at the front of the grid at Perth in May 2024. Mostert's Walkinshaw Andretti United team mate Ryan Wood locked out the front row with the second best time, with Brodie Kostecki third and championship leader Broc Feeney fourth. 'It's always nervous coming 12 months from a good result,' Mostert told Fox Sports. 'I'm glad I had a really fast teammate, tuned me up on a bit of driving, and just sent it in and came out on the other side. 'The simple work is that there's a few internet trolls out there that basically say, 'you're done; since you have a kid and wife you lose two tenths'. 'So I'm glad to show you can find two tenths by having kids and wife, so thanks to the trolls out there, appreciate you.'
ABC News
11 hours ago
- ABC News
Roadkill is costing Australians thousands. Could virtual fencing be the answer?
Lindy Butcher is up all throughout the night bottle-feeding some unexpected babies. The ACT Wildlife volunteer is caring for two wombats — Midge and Claire, just weeks old — rescued when their mothers were fatally hit by cars. Ms Butcher knows the cost of roadkill up close, having cared for thousands of injured animals over 30 years. "They would have been fox or bird food within a couple of hours." However, Ms Butcher isn't angry — she knows most collisions between vehicles and wildlife are accidents. "I feel sorry for people who have hit a big animal with their car because usually they haven't done anything wrong," she said. "The animal has leapt out in front of their car, scared the tripe out of them, damaged their car and then the poor animal has died or is injured. It's a problem." It's an issue with a big price tag. Every year, more than 7,000 insurance claims are made after collisions with kangaroos, with Huddle Insurance estimating damage from those crashes cost Australians more than $28 million in repairs and $6 million in excess payments. Two hours from Canberra, Eurobodalla Shire Council (ESC) trialled a virtual fence along a strip of road north of Batemans Bay in 2023. Green fence posts, distributed every 25 metres, form a virtual fence along the roadside, sensing approaching vehicles and emitting a light and beep. It is designed to warn wildlife about oncoming traffic and make animals pause before they step out and become startled by the blinding headlights of an oncoming car. The technology works best with vehicles travelling at up to 80 kilometres per hour. ESC reported incidents down from five per week to just five in the first year. Mayor Mat Hatcher said the fence cost $10,000 per kilometre to install, but he said it reduced insurance claims by drivers, council staff call outs and wildlife deaths. "It's a great return on investment for the ratepayer," he said. ESC has since installed virtual fences at two more locations in the shire and has allocated money in the annual budget to keep installing more fences. "For areas with a lot of wildlife, especially late at night when the roads are dark, it's been fantastic for us," Cr Hatcher said. Save Canberra's Kangaroos' Aisha Bottrill read about the success of the trial on the south coast and wants the fences installed in Canberra, where she often pulls over to tend to injured or dead kangaroos on the roadside. She started a petition hoping for a virtual fence trial on the road she commutes along twice daily. "Something needs to be done about it for the safety of the wildlife and for the safety of people who use that road." She said drivers had become desensitised to signage urging them to slow down for wildlife. "We need to put something in place that will deter animals from crossing the road if we can't deter drivers from slowing down in high-risk times," she said. "We live in the bush capital and we're so lucky to share our homes and backyards with so much wildlife. It's devastating to see so many injured kangaroos and not see anything done about it." Ms Butcher said 70 per cent of the incidents reported to the ACT Wildlife hotline were for collisions with birds, which would not be stopped by the fence. She said attempts to reduce roadkill also needed to include planting more trees so animals could move along the canopy without needing to come to the ground. But Ms Butcher would love to see the fences trialled in the ACT. "If we could even just reduce the number of wombats, wallabies, kangaroos and possums hit by cars, that would be great," she said. "It would be great to see something like that here.
