The sedan isn’t dead. Kia just laid down the law in the world of compact sedan design, blowing away the bland and unwieldy shapes currently occupying the market. The new replacement for the aging Kia Forte sedan is called K4, and it’s here to kick ass. Kia’s design team calls this new language “twist logic” as it supposedly “twists logically aligned squares in a seemingly illogical fashion.” That’s designer double speak if ever I’ve heard it, but the resulting shape makes my smooth brain feel very shiny.
“Every contour, curve and detail of the K4 has been carefully considered and crafted to adhere to Kia’s design philosophy, Opposites United, bringing together clean faceted surfacing and technological details in a bold, cohesive statement. Every aspect further strengthens the relationship between brand and design,” says Karim Habib, Executive Vice President, and head of Kia Global Design.
“With the design of the K4, we are building on what we’ve learnt and making those values accessible to even more people, by bringing a product that is relevant and meaningful, to inspire the way they think, move and live.”
On the inside, Kia has come up with a simple but attractive driver-focused layout. This is the kind of interior that you expect from a compact sedan, and it looks pretty good in comparison to those of the Corolla or Civic, especially in green. More cars need green interiors. In addition to the Slate Green, Kia will offer Medium Grey, Canyon Brown, and Onyx Black interior options for the car.
Kia says it has separated driver and passenger compartments in this car, with the driver getting a “cockpit, which is technical and machine in character,” while the passenger steps into a “cabin, which is comfortable and human.” I’m not sure about all that, but I appreciate a non-symmetrical interior in a car. Again, more cars should do that.
Kia has incorporated its dual-screen setup into the smaller car, but fret not, there are still plenty of buttons. Volume and temperature controls can be adjusted by buttons and scroll wheels on the dash, while additional controls on the steering wheel are available for the driver. Overall, it’s a sharp and accessible interior without being overly complicated. Good marks.
The K4 seems to have grown slightly over the older Forte it replaces, as the rear doors (with hidden handles) seem a bit longer than they were on the outgoing car.
There’s no word yet on what will power the compact sedan, whether it will get a sportier version, or whether it’ll carry over the Forte’s available manual transmission. There’s also no information on how much it’ll cost, though the Forte currently starts at $19,990, so hopefully it won’t stray too far upmarket.