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The replacement for the Kia Cerato small car, the K4, has launched in Australia in sedan form first, with a hatch confirmed to follow later this year.
The 2025 Kia K4 sedan has arrived in Australia with price rises between $3500 and $6100 over the Cerato it replaces.
Due in Australian showrooms in late January – with a hatch to follow later this year – the Kia sedan will remain available in the same S, Sport and Sport+ grades as the Cerato, while the K4 GT-Line replaces the Cerato GT – but retains its 1.6-litre turbo engine, albeit with less power than before.
Kia Australia said the switch to K4 from Cerato aligns with the brand’s global passenger-car naming convention, joining its K3 (née Rio), K5 (née Optima), K8 (née Cadenza) and K9 (née K900) siblings available in other markets – while the Picanto micro hatch retains its current name for now.
Pricing for the entry-level K4 S has increased $3530 over the outgoing base Cerato, taking it to $30,590 before on-road costs – the first time a Kia small car has not been available in Australia for less than $30,000.
The largest price increase has been applied to the top-of-the-range K4 GT-Line, with a $6130 price hike over the Cerato GT – followed by $6030 more for the K4 Sport over an equivalent Cerato, and $5380 for the Sport+.
It is now sourced from Mexico instead of South Korea – while standard equipment has increased for all variants, along with a 70mm longer body and a stretched wheelbase allowing for more rear legroom than before.
Newly-added standard equipment for the K4 S over the Cerato S includes 16-inch alloy wheels replacing steel items, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen – up from eight inches – more-advanced autonomous emergency braking detection, adaptive cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED headlights, and USB-C charge ports.
The Kia Connect telematics system has been added across the line-up, including over-the-air software updates, remote vehicle control, and emergency SOS calls in the event of a collision.
S, Sport and Sport+ variants retain a 112kW/192Nm 2.0-litre non-turbo multi-point injection four-cylinder petrol engine with a six-speed automatic transmission – instead of the more-efficient but less-powerful Atkinson cycle unit with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) available in the US and Canada, and in the related i30 Sedan in Australia.
Combined fuel consumption remains unchanged at 7.4L/100km, while the sedan's fuel tank has been reduced from 50 litres to 47L.
Stepping up to the K4 GT-Line adds a 1.6-litre turbo engine – the same found in the Cerato GT it succeeds – but switches from the previous seven-speed dual-clutch automatic to an eight-speed torque-converter unit, like the Seltos SUV.
The K4 GT-Line outputs 142kW/265Nm – matching the related Hyundai Kona SUV, but down from the Cerato GT’s 150kW – with combined fuel consumption now rated at 6.7L/100km, a 0.2L/100km improvement.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support has been added to variants with built-in satellite navigation, with the K4 moving to the new-generation ccNC infotainment software available in the Sorento, Carnival, EV5 and EV9.
Measuring 4710mm long, 1850mm wide and 1425mm tall, with a 2720mm wheelbase, the K4 sedan is 70mm longer, 50mm wider and 15mm lower than the Cerato, with an additional 20mm between the front and rear axles.
The length and wheelbase of the K4 sedan match its Hyundai i30 Sedan platform sibling.
An ANCAP crash-test result for the Kia K4 will be announced in due course, with Kia confirming it is currently working with the safety organisation.
While a $2100 Safety Pack remains available for the base S – adding junction-crossing detection for its AEB system – all models have features potentially needed to reach a five-star result under the latest criteria, including a front-centre airbag, a driver monitoring camera, lane-keep assist, and multi-collision braking.
The 2025 Kia K4 sedan is due in Australia later this month, with the hatchback – previewed alongside the sedan in March 2024 but yet to launch in any other market – confirmed to follow in late 2025.
2025 Kia K4 price in Australia
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
2025 Kia K4 S standard features:
2025 Kia K4 Sport adds (over S):
2025 Kia K4 Sport+ adds (over Sport):
2025 Kia K4 GT-Line adds (over Sport+):
The optional $2100 Safety Pack, available on K4 S, adds:
Available colours include:
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
