The Kia K4 model replaced the Cerato/Forte family a year ago, although the production of the “fours” is currently only in Mexico, and they are sold in North America and Australia. The sedan was the first to enter the market, but a five-door hatchback was promised from the very beginning. Now it has seen the light of day: the premiere took place at the New York Auto Show.
A hatchback based on the Cerato? It sounds strange to us, because in Europe this niche was covered by the Ceed for almost twenty years. However, for markets like South Korea, America and Australia, Kia has always produced the Cerato/Forte with a five-door body! This version was in all generations, so the new Kia K4 hatchback did not become a sensation, but only continued the history of the brand’s compact hatchbacks.
The new five-door model has adopted the style of the base sedan: both the hidden handles of the rear doors and the characteristic design of the rear lights have been preserved. The wheelbase of the two versions is the same (2720 mm), but the hatchback is 280 mm shorter than the sedan: 4430 mm from bumper to bumper. The roof is made less sloping, so rear passengers in the five-door model have more headroom than in the sedan. The trunk volume is 629 liters behind the back and 1679 liters with the rear row folded (according to the American EPA method).
Technically, the hatchback and sedan are identical. For the US market, two power units are offered to choose from. The base naturally aspirated 2.0 MPI (149 hp, 179 Nm) is combined with a CVT, the alternative is a turbocharged 1.6 T-GDI engine (193 hp, 264 Nm) paired with an eight-speed automatic. The GT-Line package includes a multi-link rear suspension (instead of a semi-independent one), larger front brakes, 18-inch wheels (instead of 17-inch ones), LED headlights and abundant black decor. Moreover, for two-liter cars, this package is offered for an additional fee, and hatchbacks with a turbo engine are entitled to it as standard.
Five-door Kia K4s will appear on the American market by the end of this year and will be slightly more expensive than similar sedans. Currently, four-doors in the US cost from 22 thousand dollars.
