Home / Motoring / Sports Cars

Kia’s Latest Hatchback Proves Fun, Cheap and Cool Cars Still Exist

Kia just announced pricing for its incoming hatchback and it’s cheaper than you think.

Rear view of a gold Kia K4 with illuminated taillights at sunset.Kia
Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google
A black and white portrait of a smiling man with short, dark hair. He is wearing a light-colored blazer over a collared shirt. The background is plain and unobtrusive.

By Chris Chin

Published

·

Updated

It may seem like hatchbacks are a dying breed, but Kia thinks otherwise. The Korean automaker announced that it’ll be selling its slick-looking K4 Hatchback Stateside earlier this year.

Now, the company just released more details including pricing and trim levels. And it’s way cheaper than its modern and futuristic sheetmetal implies.

Still the king of value

Yellow Kia electric SUV with black roof and wheels driving on a curved desert road.
When’s the last time you saw a hatchback as good-looking as this one?
Kia

If there’s one standout attribute about Hyundai’s sister company, it’s value. Kia has proven to offer a lot of car for the money and the new K4 Hatchback is more proof.

Care to take a gander as to how much the new K4 Hatchback costs? Nope, you’re wrong.

Gold Kia EV6 electric SUV parked on a desert road at sunset with mountains in the background.
The Mazda3 might’ve just met its match.
Kia

The new ’26 K4 Hatchback starts stamping its invoices at a very palatable $24,890 for the base EX. And if you were worried that the most expensive model would be unreasonable, you’d also be wrong.

The top-of-the-line K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo with its punchier engine only begins at $28,790. Both prices are excluding the usual $1,195 shipping charge.

Interior of a modern car with black and gray leather seats, digital dashboard, and touchscreen display showing various controls.
The K4 further proves that cheap cars don’t have to suck.
Kia

All things considered — especially during today’s economic climate — that’s incredibly good value. And because new Kias these days are extremely well-equipped and well-made, its more proof that cheap cars don’t suck any more.

The K4 sedan has already proven to be a stellar entry-level compact sedan, which was very much the case with its recent predecessors, the Forte. Now, those looking for more space and practicality without having to make a jump to a clunky SUV have another great option to consider.

A sign that long-roofs could be making a comeback

Folded rear seats in a black and gray car interior with a desert landscape visible through the rear window.
Look at all that cargo room the K4 offers and it’s not a soul-sucking SUV.
Kia

It’s exciting to see Kia making the leap to offer another hatchback in America. Some of the segment’s most iconic staples left the country due to supposedly slow demand.

Such includes the Volkswagen Golf and the five-door Ford Focus and Subaru Impreza. That’s left the Mazda3 and the Toyota Corolla as the only two options in the States. Sure, the Honda Civic might be considered a hatchback, but that’s arguably more of a fastback design.

Golden yellow Kia EV6 electric SUV with black roof and wheels parked on asphalt road.
The K4 Hatchback looks far more expensive than its meager price range suggest.
Kia

With wagons seemingly making a comeback on the premium side of things — for instance, BMW deciding to import its M5 Touring, which is a revelation for American buyers — the K4 Hatchback coming to the States could be a sign that affordable hatchbacks could be regaining popularity.

Close-up of a gold car's rear side window with black trim and a small triangular vent window.
The K4 Hatchback certainly has some unique design features.
Kia

As popular as SUVs are, many also voiced their disinterest towards them. Even some prominent automotive figures, like Genesis’ chief of design, Luc Donckerwolke, thinks that SUVs could be falling out of favor from people getting tired of them.

We at the GP Motoring desk certainly are.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

Read More

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

add as a preferred source on google