Kia Replaced the Forte With Something Actually Better

Kia killed the Forte. In its place, they put a car that looks like it costs $10,000 more than it does. That is the story of the 2025 K4, and it is a more interesting story than most compact sedans deserve.

This is a car that will make you double-check the price tag. The interior materials, the standard tech, the available turbocharged engine — none of it feels like a $22,000 car. Whether that translates to a smart buy over five years of ownership is a different question, and that is exactly what we are going to work through here.

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What This Car Is, and Who Should Actually Consider It

The K4 is a compact sedan slotting just below the Kia K5. It replaces the Forte, which was a fine car but never a head-turner. The K4 is a head-turner.

It is built for buyers who want a new car under $30,000, care about how it looks in the driveway, spend most of their time in the front seat, and do not need to haul anything larger than a few suitcases. The 60/40 split-folding rear seat helps, but the trunk opening is narrow.

It is not for families who regularly put three people in the back seat. Rear legroom is adequate but not generous. It is not for buyers who need all-wheel drive, because Kia does not offer it on the K4. It is not for people who prioritize long-term resale value above everything else, because Kia sedans historically depreciate faster than Toyota and Honda competitors.

If you know what you are getting into, the K4 makes a strong case for itself.

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Trims and What You Are Actually Paying For

Kia offers four trims at launch. Here is how they break down. You can configure your own on Kia's build page.

Trim	MSRP	What You Actually Get
LX	$22,390	2.0L naturally aspirated engine, 8-inch infotainment, cloth seats, forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist
EX	$25,290	10.25-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats, blind-spot monitoring, LED headlights
GT-Line	$27,090	Sportier styling, 1.6L turbocharged engine, 18-inch wheels, sport-tuned suspension, red interior accents
GT-Line+	$29,690	Adds Bose audio system, sunroof, ventilated front seats, 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster

The EX is the value sweet spot for most buyers. You get the larger screen, wireless phone mirroring, and heated seats for about $3,000 more than the base. The jump to GT-Line is worth considering if you want the turbocharged engine, but factor in that the sport suspension makes the ride noticeably stiffer on broken pavement.

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The Two Engines: One Is Forgettable, One Is Not

The base engine is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 147 horsepower. It moves the car well enough, but "well enough" is about as enthusiastic as you should get about it. Paired with a CVT (continuously variable transmission, which mimics gear changes but technically has no fixed gears), it gets the job done on a commute and not much more.

EPA-rated fuel economy for the 2.0L: 32 mpg city / 42 mpg highway / 36 mpg combined. Those are good numbers.

The 1.6-liter turbocharged engine on the GT-Line trims is the better engine by a clear margin. It produces 190 horsepower and pairs with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, which is an actual traditional-style transmission and responds faster than the CVT. The driving experience is noticeably more alert.

EPA-rated fuel economy for the 1.6T: 29 mpg city / 37 mpg highway / 32 mpg combined. You trade about 4 mpg combined for the additional power.

Both engines require regular 87-octane fuel. No premium required.

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Where the K4 Earns Its Money

The interior is the K4's biggest surprise. At the EX level and above, the materials feel a half-class above the price point. Soft-touch surfaces show up where your hands actually land. The 10.25-inch screen responds quickly and does not bury basic functions in sub-menus the way some systems do.

Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto come standard on the EX, which is not a given at this price. Some competitors still ask you to plug in.

The standard safety tech on every trim is worth calling out. Forward collision avoidance, lane-keeping assist, and driver attention warning come on the base LX. You do not have to pay extra to not get rear-ended. Blind-spot monitoring is on the EX and above, which should be standard across the whole lineup but at least is not locked behind the highest trim.

The exterior design is genuinely sharp. Long hood, low roofline, character lines that look like they were styled by someone who cared. For a $22,000 car, it does not look like a $22,000 car. That matters to some buyers and not at all to others.

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Where the K4 Falls Short

The base LX trim lacks blind-spot monitoring. For a car targeting first-time buyers and younger drivers, that feels like a real omission. You can get it on the EX for $3,000 more, but the whole package changes at that point.

Rear visibility is poor. The sloping roofline looks good and reduces the rear window to something close to a letterbox slot. Budget for a backup camera check before switching lanes and reversing, because you will rely on the camera constantly.

The CVT on the base engine is smooth but uninvolving in a way that will bore some drivers. It is not a problem, exactly. It is just flat.

Kia does not offer all-wheel drive on the K4. For buyers in snow-heavy regions, that is not a footnote. That is a disqualifier.

Cargo space comes in at 14.3 cubic feet. That is slightly below the segment average, and the narrow trunk opening makes loading awkward with anything larger than soft bags.

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Safety Ratings

As of this writing, the 2025 Kia K4 has not yet received a full rating from NHTSA or a Top Safety Pick designation from IIHS. Kia submitted the K4 to IIHS testing, but results are pending.

This is not unusual for a first-model-year vehicle on a new nameplate. Check both sites before you buy, particularly if you are a few months into the model year when this review finds you. Results should be posted by mid-2025.

The predecessor Forte earned good marks from both agencies, which gives some reason for optimism. But the K4 is a new platform, and new platforms occasionally carry surprises.

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What Year One Actually Costs: The EX Trim

MSRP for the EX: $25,290. Add destination ($1,095) and you are at $26,385 before taxes and dealer fees.

Depreciation: New cars typically lose 15 to 22 percent of their value in the first twelve months. On a $26,385 purchase price, that is $3,958 to $5,805 in depreciation. Kia sedans tend to land toward the middle of that range based on historical data for the Forte. Call it $4,800 as a working estimate.

Fuel cost at 15,000 miles: The EX runs the 2.0L engine at 36 mpg combined. At 15,000 miles, that is roughly 417 gallons. At a national average of $3.40 per gallon (adjust for your region), that comes to about $1,418 for the year.

Insurance: Expect $1,400 to $2,000 annually for a typical adult driver with clean record and full coverage. Young drivers or high-cost regions will push past $2,000 easily.

First service interval: Kia recommends oil changes every 7,500 miles for normal driving conditions. At 15,000 miles you are looking at two oil changes plus a tire rotation. Budget $150 to $200 at a shop, less if you go to a quick-lube.

Year-one total estimate: $8,368 to $9,418, not counting the purchase price itself. Depreciation is the biggest line item by far. It always is.

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How It Stacks Up Against the Competition

Honda Civic: The Civic has a better long-term reliability record and holds its value more stubbornly, which directly improves your ownership cost picture over five years. The K4 wins on interior style and standard tech at a comparable price point, and the GT-Line's turbocharged engine is more fun to drive than the Civic's base engine.

Toyota Corolla: The Corolla's track record for dependability is as close to bulletproof as a mainstream sedan gets, and that reliability history does show up in lower insurance rates and slower depreciation. The K4 wins on features per dollar and on looks, but if you plan to keep a car for ten years, the Corolla's reliability edge compounds over time.

Volkswagen Jetta: The Jetta drives with more European character and feels more planted at highway speeds. The K4 wins on warranty coverage: Kia's 5-year/60,000-mile basic and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty against Volkswagen's 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty.

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The Verdict: Buy It If You Know What It Is

The K4 is a legitimate value, but it is not a perfect car and it is not the right car for everyone.

Buy the K4 if you want the most interior quality and standard tech per dollar in the compact sedan segment right now, plan to keep it for three to five years, live somewhere where front-wheel drive is sufficient, and are not counting on strong resale value to fund your next purchase.

Skip the K4 if you live in a region with serious winter weather, need reliable rear-seat space for adults on regular trips, or are planning to keep the car beyond 100,000 miles and want Toyota or Honda reliability history behind you. The K4 is a new nameplate on an updated platform, and Kia's long-term reliability data, while improved over the past decade, still does not match the standard set by the Japanese competitors.

The GT-Line with the turbocharged engine is the most satisfying version to drive, but the EX is the most rational purchase. Get blind-spot monitoring, wireless CarPlay, and heated seats without paying for a sunroof you will use six times a year.

Kia built something genuinely good here. Just go in with clear eyes about what happens to its value over the next few years.