2025 Kia K4: Cerato small car replacement teased ahead of March 21 reveal

March 21: Kia K4 unveiled

This is the new Kia K4, and if it looks familiar, you might be having flashbacks to the smaller K3 unveiled in August last year.

March: Kia K4 teased

The 2025 Kia K4 sedan has been teased ahead of its design reveal on March 21 and full public debut at the New York Auto Show on March 27.

The K4 – which will debut in sedan form first – will replace the Cerato small car, which is also called Forte in North America and K3 in Korea and China. It is also expected to replace the European Ceed model, which is currently available in hatchback, ‘Xceed’ SUV and ‘Proceed’ shooting brake forms.

K4 is a new name for Kia outside of China. The next-generation small car slots between the recently unveiled K3 light sedan – which replaces the Rio – and the midsize K5 that replaced the Optima in 2020.

The K3 and K5 sedans are not available in Australia due to left-hand-drive-only production.

Replacing the current third-generation Cerato introduced in 2018, the K4 adopts Kia’s latest design language shared with the latest EV9, Sorento and Picanto, as well as a liftback-like appearance reminiscent of the axed Stinger sports sedan with hidden rear door handles.

“K4 introduces new standards for design, innovation and driving appeal to the compact sedan sector,” said Kia.

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While the interior has not yet been shown, expect to see a modernised dashboard with a larger infotainment system and a digital instrument cluster running the brand’s newest ‘CCOS’ software, which supports over-the-air software updates, Kia Connect functionality, and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto for variants with built-in satellite navigation.

It will be based on the same ‘K3’ platform as the latest Kia Niro, Hyundai i30 Sedan and Hyundai Kona, which are available with evolved versions of the Cerato’s current 2.0-litre non-turbo and 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engines – plus a 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid.

If the closely related Hyundai i30 Sedan is a guide, the K4 should feature Hyundai and Kia’s ‘Smartstream’ version of the non-turbo 2.0-litre with a CVT automatic transmission – instead of a traditional six-speed unit – and the Atkinson combustion cycle for improved fuel efficiency.

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The i30 Sedan's power output is slightly lower than that of the older unit found in the Cerato, at 110kW and 180Nm versus 112kW and 192Nm.

The 1.6-litre turbo currently found in the Cerato GT could receive an eight-speed torque-converter automatic instead of a seven-speed dual-clutch, if it is carried over into the new model.

The Kia Cerato was introduced in Australia in 2004, and more than 185,000 examples have been sold since then – more than other long-running nameplates such as the Rio, Sportage, Carnival and Sorento.