Although the boom in small crossovers and SUVs has moved the needle away from hatchbacks, Kia thinks there’s still some mileage in the half century-old format. But the Korean firm’s designers have ensured that the K4 hiding under camouflage in the pictures is no boring me-too shopping car. The K4 hatchback is the shorter, stubbier counterpart to the K4 sedan unveiled in New York earlier this year as a replacement for the Forte. Kia even teased the hatch at that event, revealing a glimpse of it during a video presentation. America will apparently get both versions, the sedan arriving first, at some point before the end of 2024, while Europe will major on the hatchback which will replace the Ceed, and could even carry over that name, some sources have suggested.
Both sedan and hatch share the same
new-generation Kia design language that transplants elements of the EV5 and EV9
SUVs onto low-riding four-door, combustion-powered cars. Under this prototype’s
black disguise is a clamshell-style hood, Y-shaped DRLs with vertically-stacked
headlights and a connecting LED light bar.
The K4 hatch’s rear door handles are mounted high up, next to the C-pillar, giving a two-door vibe, the rear arches are heavily flared for a muscular stance and the taillights run across the tail and turn through 90 degrees, plunging to the floor. The images of the yellow car at the bottom of the page reveal how it will look once the ballistic vest has been removed, as well as showing the K4 sedan for comparison.
Inside, expect the same EV9-style
dashboard that was showcased on the K4 sedan at New York. That featured a long,
slim, combined digital gauge pack and media screen with wireless Apple CarPlay
and Android Auto connectivity. America’s hatch should get the same 147 hp 2.0 and 190 hp 1.6 turbo already earmarked for the K4 sedan, but
gas-conscious Europeans can probably expect only to see the 1.6, and in a lower
state of tune.
