Kia on Thursday gave a first glimpse of its new compact sedan that will replace the current Forte.
The newcomer will go by the name K4, a name last used on a compact sedan that Kia sold exclusively in China.
The current Forte is sold outside the U.S. as the K3, but Kia recently released a separate compact sedan called the K3 aimed at developing markets, so a new name was needed for the Forte’s replacement.
K4 will make its debut on March 21, before formally debuting a week later at New York Auto Show 2024. It should arrive in showrooms later this year as a 2025 model.
2025 Kia K4 Teaser Debuting at 2024 New York Auto Show
A camouflaged prototype was spotted earlier this year. This points to a sportier, fastback design for the K4 compared to the Forte. The K4 is also shaping up to be bigger than the Forte.
Although Kia plans more than a dozen EVs By 2027, the K4 will not be powered by batteries. Gas engines are planned, including possibly in hybrid configuration.
For EV fans, Kia plans an EV4 hatchback in the same segment as K4. The automaker also showed EV5 electric compact crossoverbut did not confirm the model for the USA