Besides expanding its electric vehicle lineup, Kia remains committed to traditional internal combustion-powered models. Not all upcoming ones are crossovers, as an entirely new compact sedan is on the horizon that will replace the outgoing Forte.
Christened the Kia K4, it is expected to pack at least one gasoline burner that we know nothing about yet. Rumors also speak of a partially electrified powertrain, whose specifics remain a well-guarded secret, and some believe that the Korean automaker might eventually top the family with a battery-electric model.
Mind you, while the 2025 Kia K4's oily bits are a mystery, at least we know how it will look. The usual scoops were joined last week by a few official teasers that partially reveal its sleek shape. It was a matter of time until someone tried to decipher the styling traits, and that someone is kelsonik, who recently took to social media to release a couple of renderings that stay true to the real thing.
Buried inside a post that also includes a few digital illustrations of the upcoming Kia Sportage, these CGIs put the spotlight on the car's brand-new front and rear ends and the coupe-like appearance. The main clusters and LED DRLs look more modern, and the bumper has a larger central air intake. The grille, however, looks like an evolution of the one fitted to the old Forte.
Photo: Instagram | Kelsonik
Kia has also buried the rear door handles into the C-pillars and has given it a more angular rear windscreen. The trunk lid is no longer home to the rear license plate holder, which was moved to the new bumper. It also has boomerang-shaped taillights that are joined by a light strip, bigger reflectors, and chunkier rear pillars. The corporate logo still bedecks its nose and trunk lid, and the wheels seem to have been inspired by the ones fitted to the teased K4.
It will be interesting to see if the company has turned it into a liftback with a tailgate opening up into a more generous cargo area or if the car is still a four-door sedan. The model will offer more space inside, where the dual-screen setup will be the icing on the cake. It is also great to learn that the automaker hasn't ditched the physical buttons, as there are still many of them scattered around the cockpit, so users won't have to use the new central screen to access different functions.
We will learn everything about the all-new Kia K4, which replaces the Forte, on March 26 during the unveiling. Subsequently, the vehicle will celebrate its public premiere at the 2024 New York Auto Show, and we expect the first copies to start arriving at dealers in a few months.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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