Ahead of its 27th April debut, the Kia K4 has been unveiled, giving us a complete look at both its exterior and interior design. Unsurprisingly looking like a larger Kia K3, the company says that the Kia K4 sets a new standard for the design of its cars.
No technical specifications have been revealed just yet, but given the “K4” name, we can be sure that this will be an internal combustion engine (ICE) car with some electrified derivatives. With Kia only sharing pictures of the K4 and its design philosophy, what we can do at this stage is admire what they suggest.
Still loyal to the “Opposites United” design philosophy and the use of the brand’s signature “Tiger Face”, the K4 “transcends the design standards of the compact sedan sector, the Kia K4 exudes an authentic aura of ambition, boldness, energy, and strength.”
The most unique aspect of the Kia K4’s exterior would be its rear door and C-Pillar design. The rear windows have a vertical cut-off and a significant window area is excluded from the rear doors. The Kia K4 also “hides” its rear door handles – this combined with the fastback styling gives it a believable 2-door look on a large body.
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Kia Global Design Executive Vice President, Karim Habib said, “Every contour, curve, and detail of the K4 has been carefully considered and crafted to adhere to Kia’s design philosophy, Opposites United, bringing together clean faceted surfacing and technological details in a bold, cohesive statement. Every aspect further strengthens the relationship between brand and design.”
“With the design of the K4, we are building on what we’ve learned and making those values accessible to even more people, by bringing a product that is relevant and meaningful, to inspire the way they think, move, and live.”
Inside, the Kia K4’s cabin design is rather conventional except for the asymmetrical colour arrangement. Kia has used this “graphic split” to separate the driver’s cockpit from the front passenger area. It isn’t obvious upon the first look at the dashboard, but compare the door panels of the front row and you will notice the “graphic split”.
Other than that, the K4 adopts the typical dual-screen setup of today, a typical gear selector design, and a rather conventional steering wheel design. One thing we can appreciate in the K4’s cabin is that it still has a significant amount of physical buttons, even for the HVAC controls.
To get the full breakdown of the new Kia K4, we’ll have to wait until April 27 when it will make its world Debut at the New York Auto Show.
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