By Ian Strachan.
The recently-launched Kia K4 is a breath of fresh air. Here’s a medium-sized family car which still manages to look sleek and sporty. So many of its competitors are on the conservative, staid side.
From the front you have the K4’s attractive black radiator grille. From the side the K4 has smooth, flowing lines and from the back the car is nicely sculpted while still giving good load carrying capacity of 328 litres which can be increased to 1,107 litres using the fold down rear seats. Whichever way you look at it, this car is a good looker.
The inside is nice too, having borrowed modern touches from the electric Kia EV4. The front seats are extremely comfortable with a good range of adjustment. There are plenty of storage spaces around the interior and all instruments are clear and accessible, with proper buttons for most controls instead of fiddly touch buttons or on-screen icons.
I drove the 113 bhp GT-Line T-GDi version powered by a smooth three cylinder 1.0 litre petrol engine. It’s extremely quiet, even when worked hard, with good acceleration and flexibility. Mated to a pleasant seven-speed DCT automatic gearbox you also get good economy – close to 50 miles to the gallon in mixed driving.
Ride and handling are excellent thanks to a lightweight chassis and good suspension.
Specification on the GT-Line trim level I tested is generous. Standard equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, electrically folding, heated door mirrors, heated steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, all-round electric windows, smart cruise control, automatic air conditioning and privacy glass.
You also get a satellite navigation with a large 12.3 inch touchscreen, six-speaker audio system with Apple CarPlay and voice control, mobile phone charger, rear parking sensors with rear camera, 369 degree surround view camera system, electric driver’s seat, driver attention warning, lane keeping assist and hill start control.
On the road price for this spec is £30,795. You also get the very substantial bonus of a seven year, 100,000 mile warranty, which means the third or even fourth owner could still benefit from a manufacturer’s warranty.
I found this well-equipped Kia family car pleasing in every way.
