Latest news with #K4
NZ Autocar
a day ago
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Kia commits to hatchbacks with EV4 and K4
Against the general trend, Kia is committed to launching more hatchbacks and saloons, rather than going all-in on SUVs. Its EV4 and K4 are rivals for Volkswagen Golf and ID 3. Kia executive vice-president, Ted Lee, recently told Autocar UK that there was still 'big volume' for hatchback models in Europe. He confirmed that the firm would continue to offer them and indeed launch all-new models. Lee co-ordinates Kia's global business outside of Korea. Read our review of Kia EV3 here. The first of these newcomers is EV4, set to dot down in New Zealand soon. It will be built at Kia's plant in Slovakia, and will also be offered as a saloon built in South Korea. The EV4 will be joined by the K4, a hatchback that debuted at the New York motor show. It replaces Ceed and will be built at Kia's plant in Mexico in both hatch and saloon forms. An estate version is on the cards too. Lee said that Kia currently has a 'strong position in Europe, especially in the UK.' Kia sales have grown more than 30 per cent since 2020 in the EU. In the UK, Kia has sold more than 100,000 cars for three years running. It is the third best-selling brand in 2025, less than 300 units behind second-placed BMW. However, Lee said increased competition in Europe from Chinese brands makes for a 'difficult market '. Kia will further strengthen its aftersales, parts supply and customer journeys in response. However, it will not become embroiled in a price war in Europe in the face of new lower-cost competition. Instead, it will maintain its focus on residual values, which it credits as partly responsible for the 'sustainable growth' the brand has enjoyed. Lee said Kia has done this by maintaining demand. Cars are not pushed to dealers and onto customers at discounted rates but are built and sold according to demand. Describing this as a 'healthy cycle', Lee said: ' It might sound very easy, but in reality it requires a very strong determination and sense of principle.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Kia commits to hatchbacks with wave of Golf rivals
Kia is committed to launching more hatchbacks and saloons, rather than going all in on SUVs, as it prepares the European launch of ICE-powered and electric hatchbacks to rival the Volkswagen Golf and ID 3. Speaking exclusively to Autocar, Kia executive vice-president Ted Lee said there was still 'big volume' for hatchback models in Europe in particular, and he confirmed the firm would continue to offer them and indeed launch all-new family hatchback models. The first of these new hatchbacks, the EV4, will be the first electric Kia to be built in Europe when it's launched in the UK in October. The hatchback will be built at Kia's plant in Slovakia, but it will also be offered as a saloon imported into Europe from South Korea. The EV4 will be joined by the new K4, which was unveiled in hatchback form at the recent New York motor show and will eventually replace the outgoing Ceed in Europe. The EV4 takes the place of the Ceed in the Slovakian factory, so the K4 will be imported to Europe from Kia's plant in Mexico in both hatch and saloon forms. An estate version of the K4 has also been spotted undergoing testing, making what would be a three-strong model range for the K4 ahead of an expected launch later this year. More broadly, Lee believes that Kia currently has a 'strong position in Europe'. He added: 'Especially in the UK, where we have a very strong stance'. Lee was the first Korean to work at Kia UK , joining in 2002, when the UK operation became a wholly owned subsidiary of Kia's main global business. He now co-ordinates the firm's global business outside of Korea. While Kia sales in Europe did slip back slightly year-on-year in 2024, they have still grown more than 30% since 2020. In the UK, Kia has sold more than 100,000 cars for three years running, and it is currently the third best-selling brand in 2025, less than 300 units behind second-placed BMW. Increased competition in Europe from Chinese brands makes for a 'difficult market ', Lee admitted, but Kia will look to further strengthen its aftersales, parts supply and customer journeys in particular. 'We have to strengthen the advantages of Kia in the market,' he said. Kia will not get embroiled in a price war in Europe in the face of new lower-cost competition and will not 'push' cars onto the market; it will instead maintain a laser focus on residual values, which it credits as partly responsible for the 'sustainable growth' the brand has enjoyed. Lee said Kia has done this by maintaining a 'pull demand strategy', by which cars are not pushed to dealers and onto customers at discounted rates but built and sold according to customer demand. Describing this as a 'healthy cycle', Lee said: ' It might sound very easy, but in reality it requires a very strong determination and sense of principle.' ]]>
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Redesigned 2026 Kia K4 Spied In California Ahead Of Debut
The 2026 Kia K4 has been spotted on American roads completely undisguised (since we already know what it looks like), heralding an imminent launch for the automaker's surprisingly popular sedan, which has helped Kia achieve remarkable sales this year. Its distinctive design hasn't hurt sales, but the Korean automaker is already making significant changes to its styling, and this test mule appearing on Orange County roads without any camouflage means those changes are almost ready to reach the dealer. The current Kia K4 has headlights that stretch in three directions: toward the rear of the fenders, toward the bottom of the bumper, and toward the center of the front fascia. Similarly, the rear end has a taillight setup where the housings have both vertical and horizontal bars, which almost creates the commonplace full-width lightbar. For the new model, that quirky design has improved somewhat, as the headlights are now simpler and more upright, which gives us EV9 vibes. At the rear, the taillights now stretch into the fenders, and the horizontal accents have been removed. A pair of small spoilers on either end of the rear windshield also appear to be new. With minimal white vinyl on elements like the bumpers, door handles, charging port, rear fenders, and side skirts, as well as what appear to be production wheels (missing their center caps, though), this K4 sedan prototype seems like the finished product. Although we've hardly seen the new K4 anywhere on the internet, this may already be our last preview, as the new design is expected to arrive for the 2026 model year. Hopefully, it will retain the attractive pricing of the pre-facelift version, which starts at a scarcely believable $21,990, before destination and handling. With the effects of tariffs still casting doubt on pricing, speculating on how much the MSRP may change is probably fruitless, but a small increase seems likely. If you don't mind the current design (seen below), there will probably be some good incentives for the 2025 model when the 2026 variant arrives at dealers. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Auto Blog
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Redesigned 2026 Kia K4 Spied In California Ahead Of Debut
US-Spec Kia K4 Sedan Spied The 2026 Kia K4 has been spotted on American roads completely undisguised (since we already know what it looks like), heralding an imminent launch for the automaker's surprisingly popular sedan, which has helped Kia achieve remarkable sales this year. Its distinctive design hasn't hurt sales, but the Korean automaker is already making significant changes to its styling, and this test mule appearing on Orange County roads without any camouflage means those changes are almost ready to reach the dealer. New Headlights Give K4 Robotic Look The current Kia K4 has headlights that stretch in three directions: toward the rear of the fenders, toward the bottom of the bumper, and toward the center of the front fascia. Similarly, the rear end has a taillight setup where the housings have both vertical and horizontal bars, which almost creates the commonplace full-width lightbar. For the new model, that quirky design has improved somewhat, as the headlights are now simpler and more upright, which gives us EV9 vibes. At the rear, the taillights now stretch into the fenders, and the horizontal accents have been removed. A pair of small spoilers on either end of the rear windshield also appear to be new. Final Testing Now Underway With minimal white vinyl on elements like the bumpers, door handles, charging port, rear fenders, and side skirts, as well as what appear to be production wheels (missing their center caps, though), this K4 sedan prototype seems like the finished product. Although we've hardly seen the new K4 anywhere on the internet, this may already be our last preview, as the new design is expected to arrive for the 2026 model year. Hopefully, it will retain the attractive pricing of the pre-facelift version, which starts at a scarcely believable $21,990, before destination and handling. With the effects of tariffs still casting doubt on pricing, speculating on how much the MSRP may change is probably fruitless, but a small increase seems likely. If you don't mind the current design (seen below), there will probably be some good incentives for the 2025 model when the 2026 variant arrives at dealers. About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
West Australian
4 days ago
- Automotive
- West Australian
Kia K4 Hatch to debut more efficient engine in Australia
The Kia K4 small car range is set to grow in Australia during the fourth quarter of 2025, and the Korean brand's local product boss has confirmed it will include the debut of a new, more efficient petrol engine option Down Under. Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian media launch of the updated Sportage mid-size range, Kia Australia's general manager for product planning Roland Rivero wouldn't be drawn on the local prospects for the K4 Hybrid (HEV), which is yet to be revealed, but he did confirm a more efficient drivetrain is coming to the core K4 lineup. 'We've got [the] hatchback first – the K4 Hatch. That does adopt a new powertrain which you're familiar with from the Seltos… which helps us out from a CO2 perspective – that will be our first adjustment in light of NVES [the federal government's New vehicle Efficiency Standard],' Mr Rivero said. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . The powertrain in question is the Atkinson-cycle 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated with what Hyundai and Kia call an 'IVT' or Intelligent Variable Transmission. Effectively, it's Hyundai/Kia-speak for a CVT. As Mr Rivero mentioned, this drivetrain is already on sale locally in the Seltos small SUV, and also serves in the related Hyundai i30 Sedan and Kona crossover. Due to its more efficient Atkinson cycle, the new engine makes slightly less grunt than the existing 2.0-litre 'MPI' engine (110kW/180Nm versus 112kW/192Nm) but is claimed to be more fuel-efficient, helped in part by the different transmission. 'The CO2 on that is better than even the 1.6 turbo – I think it's about a 30g/km improvement [over the 2.0L MPI]. Whether we spec it with [idle stop/start] is TBC,' Mr Rivero added. The current 2.0L MPI engine with a six-speed automatic in the K4 Sedan quotes combined fuel consumption of 7.4L/100km and CO2 emissions of 167g/km, while the more powerful 1.6 T-GDI engine in the GT-Line with its eight-speed auto quotes 6.7L/100km and 158g/km. For reference, the related Hyundai i30 Sedan with the Smartstream-branded Atkinson-cycle engine and CVT quotes a much thriftier 6.1L/100km and 139g/km of CO2 on the combined cycle. Mr Rivero said the new drivetrain will be applied to both the upcoming K4 Hatch as well as the existing K4 Sedan during the fourth quarter of 2025, likely coinciding with model year 2026 (MY26) production. As yet there's still no word on a K4 Hybrid or HEV variant, which has been all but confirmed for a future introduction. It will almost certainly draw upon the 1.6-litre hybrid system used in the i30 Sedan and Kona hybrids, which makes 104kW and 265Nm. Since launching earlier this year, the Kia K4 has managed 1892 registrations to the end of May. By comparison, its top-selling predecessor, the Cerato, managed 6323 registrations during the January-May 2024 period. But last month, the new sedan-only K4 outsold the outgoing Cerato hatch and sedan with 577 sales versus just 68, which was nevertheless short of segment leaders including the Toyota Corolla (1576), Hyundai i30 (909) and Mazda 3 (735). However, the K4 currently lacks an ANCAP safety rating, which is a requirement for many of the large fleet customers that account for a large proportion of small car sales across the industry, so the addition of a more popular hatchback body style and an independent safety rating should give the K4 a significant shot in the arm. 'It's taken a few months… but now [the K4] is starting to build momentum. Once it gets its ANCAP rating, it will open the door to fleets,' said Dean Norbiato, general manager for marketing at Kia Australia. 'Then we get the hatchback. We are a hatch-biased market, so when that comes at the back end of the year we're really confident in that product taking over a really important model in the Cerato, and that hatch in particular will definitely meet the demand and appetite of the Australian market as well.' Are you hanging out for more efficient powertrains in the Kia K4? Tell us in the comments MORE: Everything Kia K4
