Yahoo Autos Tested: 2025 Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo Is Spicy but Not Hot
Not everyone enjoys buldak, but no one ever called the Korean spicy chicken dish bland. Think of the 2025 Kia K4's design in the same light: It may not appeal to all, but it's definitely not boring.
Contrary to the inoffensive but easily overlooked Forte it replaces, the 2025 Kia K4 is no wallflower. A long and visually low hood, swollen fenders, and a steeply raked rear window net this compact four-door with the athletic proportions of a sports sedan.
But don't look back, because the K4's rear end is a mess. Droopy taillights, a lengthy rear overhang, and a C-pillar design that appears as mismatched as Felix Unger and Oscar Madison mar the look of this otherwise fetching four-door.
The best way to distract from these elements is to skip right over the LX, LXS, and EX trims, whose relatively small 16- and 17-inch wheels and tires exacerbate the K4's unfortunate-looking rump, and step up to the $26,345 GT-Line, which includes more flattering 18-inch wheels.
A 147-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder and continuously variable automatic transmission are standard, but splurge for the $29,245 GT-Line Turbo and you'll get a 190-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four and a model-exclusive eight-speed automatic. Gone is the finicky seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission of the Forte GT; alas, the Forte's available six-speed manual gearbox also failed to find its way to the K4.
The Line Between GT and GT-Line
Unlike its forebear, which targeted driver-oriented four-doors such as the Honda Civic Si, the K4 GT-Line Turbo sets its sights on feature-laden compact sedans like the 250-hp Mazda 3 Turbo and 200-hp Honda Civic Hybrid. With a healthy 195 pound-feet of torque available from 1700 to 4500 rpm, the K4 GT-Line Turbo has ample low- and midrange grunt for pulling away from stops and propelling itself forward under part-throttle acceleration. Push past the torque peak, and the small-displacement engine cries uncle until the upshifts come around 6000 rpm.
Pin the right pedal, and 60 mph arrives in 7.3 seconds, a reasonable run but one that's overshadowed by the sprightly 6.2-second figure of the Civic Hybrid sedan and the 5.6-second sprint from the Mazda 3 Turbo. Passing maneuvers are a sorer spot for the Kia, as the smooth-shifting but slow-to-respond transmission nets the turbo K4 a 4.1-second time from 30 to 50 mph. The 25 mpg we observed over the K4's stay was nothing to write home about, either, given the GT-Line Turbo's 29-mpg EPA combined rating. In our 75-mph highway test, our test car averaged 35 mpg.
Whereas lesser K4 grades make do with an unsophisticated torsion-beam rear suspension, GT-Line models come with an multilink setup. Although we've yet to experience the standard suspension's competency, the independent rear end of the firm-riding GT-Line Turbo never felt flustered over Southeast Michigan's pitted pavement, neither losing composure in corners nor noticeably letting the rear tires' contact patches lose connection with the tarmac.
Kia also fits GT-Line models with a marginally quicker steering rack and trim-specific three-spoke steering wheel to further differentiate it from the rest of the lineup. The electric-assist setup responds predictably to inputs and weights up naturally through turns. Avoid prodding the GT-Line Turbo too hard on the twisties, though, because the steering's lack of tactility and the chassis's limited lateral grip are a recipe for stability-control intervention. Around the skidpad, the 18-inch Kumho Majesty 9 Solus TA91 all-season tires on our test car pulled an unremarkable 0.83 g.
OK4 Carrying Passengers
Passenger and trunk space is generous in the K4, though the front-seat bottoms are flatter than Nebraska. Rear passengers benefit from plentiful legroom and their own set of air vents in the back of the center console—the latter exclusive to the GT-Line Turbo. Regardless of powertrain, the GT-Line nets you a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A dual-zone automatic climate-control system displays on a small touchscreen that's easily blocked by the steering-wheel rim.
Alongside standard niceties such as a sunroof, faux leather seating surfaces, and heated front seats, our test car came with the GT-Line Turbo Technology package. This $2200 option adds parking sensors, a 360-degree-view camera, ventilated front seats, driver's seat memory, and ambient lighting. It nudged the as-tested price of this K4 to $31,445. That's a healthy chunk of change relative to the outgoing Forte GT, which cost $25,845 in two-pedal form.
A loaded K4 GT-Line Turbo is $1400 less than a Civic Hybrid Sport Touring sedan ($32,845) and comes with a number of high-end features the top-line Civic does without, but it can't match the superior driving dynamics, straight-line performance, and fuel efficiency of the Honda.
Some folks, however, just like buldak. While the 2025 Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo may not offer the crowd-pleasing appeal of the segment leaders, it's a medium-spicy dish with a taste all its own.
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