Kia K4 Hatch: There’s just one catch

What is it?

The Kia K4 replaces the Cerato and, thankfully, the hatchback is considerably easier on the eye than the sedan.

The latter always looked like someone designed the front half on a Tuesday and forgot to finish the rear until Friday afternoon.

The hatch is much better proportioned and, despite its sleeker shape, loses little of the interior space.

This review covers the entry-level K4 S Hatch fitted with Kia’s optional Safety Pack.

That’s an important distinction because it brings a substantial technology and safety upgrade, pushing the sticker price to $34,190 before on-road costs.

The K4 arrives at a difficult time for traditional small cars. Buyers with around $35,000 to spend can choose from petrol, hybrid and fully electric alternatives.

Some rivals are newer, some are quicker and some are cheaper. That means the K4 has to work hard to justify its place on the shortlist.

What’s it cost?

The first thing worth noting is that the K4 has become more expensive since launch.

Most grades have increased by $1,500, including this one.

For the money, Kia gives buyers one of the best-looking dashboards in the segment.

The Integrated Panoramic Display stretches across the cabin like a giant slab of digital glass and makes some rivals look as though they’re still shopping for screens at Dick Smith.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, along with over-the-air software updates.

The Safety Pack also adds dual-zone climate control, an automatic defogger and a dedicated climate control display.

Then the compromises start appearing.

Much of the K4’s showroom appeal sits inside the optional Safety Pack.

Without it, the base S uses a smaller driver display that looks fairly ordinary.

With the package fitted, buyers get Kia’s panoramic digital dashboard arrangement, creating a far more premium cabin environment.

The K4’s equipment list reads like Kia spent the budget on the dashboard before realising there needed to be seats as well.

Safety remains a strong point. The Safety Pack includes a comprehensive suite of driver assistance systems and the K4 carries a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Kia’s seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty continues to be one of the strongest ownership packages in the business.

What’s it go like?

Power comes from a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 110kW and 180Nm.

It drives the front wheels through an Intelligent Variable Transmission (IVT), which is Kia’s name for a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Compared with the previous drivetrain, power and torque are both down slightly.

Fuel consumption, however, has improved slightly.

Whether that trade-off feels worthwhile depends on how much you enjoy driving.

The engine is smooth enough around town, but the CVT removes any sense of enthusiasm the powertrain might have had.

Flooring the throttle produces plenty of noise and considerably less excitement than expected.

There are simulated gear steps in Sport Mode but excitement levels remain unaltered.

In fact, the steps are hardly noticeable and their effect almost irrelevant.

The steering wheel creates another issue.

Despite the K4’s generous dimensions, the wheel barely extends towards the driver.

Taller motorists who sit further back will likely find themselves reaching for the wheel with arms straighter than they should be.

It is an odd oversight in a car this size and one that several rivals manage far better.

Ride quality is comfortable, refinement is generally good and there is plenty of room inside.

The hatchback body also feels more cohesive than the sedan, giving the impression of a car that was designed as a complete package rather than an afterthought.

Kia says improvements have been made to the driver assistance systems and they are certainly less irritating than some earlier experiences.

Even so, there are moments when the electronics remain a little overprotective.

At one point, the K4 decided leaving a parking space was simply too dangerous.

A Toyota Corolla was waiting nearby to claim the vacated spot and the Kia responded as though an asteroid was about to strike.

It repeatedly slammed on the brakes before eventually accepting that moving forward was, in fact, the correct course of action.

Technology remains another mixed bag.

The ccNC infotainment system looks excellent, but Apple CarPlay suffered intermittent dropouts during testing.

It wasn’t frequent enough to ruin the experience, but it was frequent enough to become annoying.

This is common among operating systems using Android Open Source Project (AOSP) as a base, and is surprisingly common.