This post was originally published on Autocar
Mexican-built model for the US market could eventually replace the Ceed in Europe
Kia is poised to take on the Volkswagen Golf with a striking new petrol-powered hatchback aimed at global markets – and an eventual European launch could be on the cards.
The new Kia K4 – shown in the metal for the first time at the New York motor show – will be offered in North America, Asia and the Middle East as a Skoda Octavia-style liftback as well as a traditional five-door hatch. Compared to the saloon, the hatch is 279mm shorter.
Power comes from either an atmospheric 147bhp 2.0-litre or turbocharged 190bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine. The hatchback is offered with GT-Line and GT-Line Turbo variants which receive sport-tuned suspension that, Kia says, improved handling.
While the K4 hatch will arrive in the US in late 2025, it is expected to also make its way to Europe in the near future.
Test mules have been spotted by our spy photographers near Kia’s engineering centre in Russelsheim, Germany. Although a spokesperson for Kia UK told Autocar that this does not mean the car is poised to go on sale in Europe – and that there are no such plans at present – there are signs of its viability in this market.
The similarly positioned Ceed continues to sell well in Europe despite being an older car than many of its rivals, having been launched in 2018.
This suggests the Ceed remains a viable product despite the market’s broader shift toward SUVs. The larger Kia Sportage achieved 87,164 sales over the same period.
Assuming a typical product cycle of eight years, the Ceed is due for replacement around 2026. However, Kia has yet to announce any plans for a next generation, which suggests it could look to other models in its portfolio to fill that gap.
The new EV4 is in effect an electric successor to the Ceed, with similar proportions – 4.4m long and 1.8m wide – and a five-door body.
But given that the growth of EV sales in Europe has fallen short of many manufacturers’ expectations, it is possible that Kia would need a combustion-engined model to plug a Ceed-sized hole in its line-up until demand for EVs catches up with previous forecasts. That could provide the business case for importing the K4, which is built in Mexico.
Kia has already committed to adding more hybrid cars to its line-ups across the globe “to manage fluctuation in EV demand”, reinforcing the case for a combustion-engined Ceed successor. Although the K4 does not yet offer a hybrid powertrain, it could be among the nine new cars set to gain one by 2028 “across most major model lines globally”.