Kia K4 Teaser Reveals Quirky Design Of Forte Replacement

Kia has provided us with our first shadowy look at the exterior of the design of the upcoming K4 compact sedan, which will be publicly unveiled at the New York International Auto Show on March 27, six days after an online reveal. To be clear, Kia has only confirmed that it will show us what the car looks like, not what we can expect in terms of powertrains and other features.

Nevertheless, some elements are already evident, so let's take a closer look.

The lighting in these teasers does wonders for the shape of the body in profile, showing off an angular yet sculptural set of flanks combined with svelte front wings. A Y-shaped motif appears here, almost reminiscent of a Lamborghini, while the headlights and taillights are long, exaggerated units.

At the front, the lighting units wrap around to the fenders while the rears slant downward. We can also see a panoramic sunroof, but further back, the glasshouse gets particularly strange with its upright C-pillar (which also hides the rear door handle) and its surrounding brightwork. While strange in isolation, it fits with Kia's current design language and should translate well, given how attractive other models from the marque can be.

Nothing has yet been confirmed regarding the performance of the new Kia K4. Still, as an effective replacement for the Forte (known in some markets as the Cerato), we expect improvements on the previous range-topping model's outputs of 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. Given that the K4 will be sold in America, unlike its smaller K3 sibling revealed last year, it seems likely that a hybrid powertrain may be offered. This would make sense since the Seltos will be electrified, too.

We expect some hints at the NYIAS at the end of the month, but until then, this edgy design (with more than a hint of Polestar, we might add) is growing on us.