Review of the new Kia K4 hatchback, highlighting its design changes from the sedan version, increased rear headroom, and significantly expanded cargo space. The review focuses on its appearance, interior features, and practical benefits.
, which blends the utility of an SUV with the agility of a car. Needless to say, we were very pleased to learn Kia was adding to the population with a hatchback version ofFirst, let’s talk about what Kia did to create the K4 hatchback.
Kudos to Kia for not merely moving the trunk hinges to the top of the rear window. Instead, it lopped nearly 11 inches off the sedan’s bodywork behind the rear wheels. That required adding material to maintain rigidity, so the hatchback is a smidge heavier than the sedan, to the tune of around 50 to 60 pounds depending on trim level.Although most of the sheetmetal is the same as the sedan, including the doors, the hatchback gets its own roof and stands slightly taller. It provides an extra inch of rear headroom over the sedan, all while offering the same generous 38 inches of rear legroom. The hatchback has a similar small side window aft of the rear doors, which looks fussy on the sedan but mates quite nicely with the hatch’s D-pillar and floating-roof look. Car nuts can argue styling until the bovines return, but we’d say that when viewed from the back, the hatchback looks much tidier than the sedan. However, the K4’s hood and fenders look long and droopy when mated with the shorter, boxier body of the K4 hatchback, and we think the sedan wears the nose better. Inside, save for that extra rear headroom, there are zero changes save a snazzy red and black interior, a $295 option that'sand also available on the sedan. Of course, the cargo space is boxy and upright. On paper, the hatchback’s 22.2 cubic feet of trunk space handily bests the sedan’s 14.9 cubes, but sedans and hatchbacks measure cargo space in different ways, and we’ve been impressed at the way ourswallows bulky cargo like a wheelchair one staffer needed to haul an elderly relative. Such an ungainly item would likely require lowering the hatchback’s split-fold rear seat. Incidentally, doing so expands total cargo space to 59.3 cubic feet, which compares favorably with small SUVs like the Mechanically, the K4 hatch is pretty much identical to the sedan. The choice of engines is the same, with a 147-hp 2.0-liter driving a CVT for the EX and GT-Line trims and a 190-hp direct-injected 1.6-liter turbo plus eight-speed automatic for the GT-Line Turbo. EXs get a torsion-beam rear axle, while both GT-Lines get a fully independent rear suspension. GT-Line Turbos get bigger brakes all around, while the GT-Line gets bigger stoppers only in the rear . Kia set us up with a top-of-the-line GT-Line Turbo, of course, and had us traipse through the suburban San Fernando Valley before attacking the curves of Angeles Crest Highway and its associated arteries. The driving experience closely mirrored what we’ve experienced in the GT-Line Turbo sedan. The 18-inch wheels keep the ride on the sporty side of comfortable, the tires grip well, and its performance in the curves is undramatic. We did feel a strangely abrupt rear-end bounce over a couple of high-speed bumps and wondered if this was a factor of having its rear-end weight not hung quite so far out past the rear axle. As expected, the powertrain does its best work in Sport mode, but this also makes the steering unpleasantly heavy while doing nothing to enhance feedback, of which there isn’t much. Nevertheless, as we progressed up Angeles Crest, we were able to keep pace—in the curves if not the straights—with a quartet of Chevy enthusiasts driving Corvettes and Camaros of relatively recent vintage. We hope they realized the car keeping up with them was a Kia—and that it annoyed them just a little bit if they did. Cruising around town, we noticed little difference from the GT-Line sedan; even over-the-shoulder visibility is pretty much a wash. With nearly a foot less length, the 2026 K4 Hatchback is, as you’d expect, easier to park while requiring less real estate. But K4 hatch owners can expect to make more frequent fuel stops than those who opt for the sedan. Both cars share a 12.4-gallon fuel tank, but the hatchback’s EPA figures trail those of the sedan . Just as Kia has shortened the K4 hatchback’s body, so has the company shortened the K4 hatch lineup. There are no entry-level LX and LXS models for the hatchback; the cheapest is the $26,235 EX , with 17-inch alloys, fake-leather seats , and a phone charger. The $27,235 GT-Line adds bigger wheels, racier exterior trim, a two-tone interior with a jazzier steering wheel, and the multilink rear end. If you want the full digital cluster and navigation, you’ll have to pop for a $2,100 premium package, which also gives you a sunroof, upgraded stereo, cooled front seats, Kia’s excellent Highway Driving Assist system, and a few other goodies. Nearly all of the above comes standard in the $30,135 GT-Line Turbo, along with the boosted engine. The Turbo’s $2,300 Technology package primarily adds driver aids like a more advanced forward collision and driving assist systems , parking sensors and a bird’s-eye-view parking camera. Kia will offer a host of accessories, including a camping tent that attaches to the K4’s open hatch. Overall, the K4 hatchback is little changed from the K4 sedan, and that’s a good thing. The hatchback is arguably the better-looking car, and the hatchback shape is better for antique-furniture enthusiasts, though new parents might want to test-fit their bulkiest stroller at the dealership. The hatch is easier to park, and its inferior fuel economy is probably the biggest disappointment—well, that and the lack of a sub-$25K LX model. Still, we appreciate the K4 hatchback, as it's not something Kia had to do; after all, the K4 sedan is selling strongly—in fact, in its first year, it has become Kia’s second bestselling model and has boosted sedan sales by 13 percent. With compact hatchbacks now an endangered species, we’re pleased to see Kia bulking up the numbers with this appealing new entrant.Get the newest car reviews, hottest auto news, and expert analysis of the latest trends delivered straight to your inbox!After a two-decade career as a freelance writer, Aaron Gold joined MotorTrend’s sister publication Automobile in 2018 before moving to the MT staff in 2021. Aaron is a native New Yorker who now lives in Los Angeles with his spouse, too many pets, and a cantankerous 1983 GMC Suburban.
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