I don't know about the likelihood of a manual, but I'd like to think Kia coud fit one of DCTs used in the Elantra into the K4.
Also, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a hotter (warmer?) GT version of the K4–especially the hatchback.
Remember when dealer showrooms were crammed full of cars? Hood, roof, trunk.
They used to be everywhere.
Today, not so much.
Aside from the Mustang and Corvette, Ford and Chevrolet no longer build them. Dodge continues to offer a Charger, but no one seems to be buying it.
When we first saw the Kia K4 at the New York auto show, however, I admit I was pleased for the simple fact that we had a new car-shaped car.
The sportiest K4 is the GT-Line Turbo, which we recently tested. But, relax, it’s not quite that sporty.
The powerplant sounds sporty, though, with a turbocharged 1.6-liter making 190 horsepower. So, kinda, like a Civic Si, right?
Standard equipment that further helps put the K4 GT-Line in the same class: a multi-link rear suspension, upsized 12.0- and 11.2-inch discs and 18x8-inch wheels. At 3265 pounds, though, the K4 weighs about 10% more than the 2952-pound Civic Si. The K4 GT-Line costs less, however: $28,090 vs. $30,995. (Thanks to an optional Technology package, our test car stickered at $30,290.)
What ultimately sabatoges the K4 GT-Line Turbo? An eight-speed automatic that’s just devoid of life. No life, no crispness. Paddle shifting didn’t seem to help.
Don’t think of the K4 GT-Line Turbo as an alternative to that Civic Si–or a WRX or GLI. At the end of the day, it’s a car-shaped car.
It is a nice car, though. It’s roomy–much roomier than expected in the back seat–although the front seats felt a bit flat. The square steering wheel might be a bit polarizing, too. (Kind of like a Corvette?)
The trunk has a smallish opening but offers more room than expected. I dig the exterior looks, too.
So, good for the masses, maybe not our dream machine. Give the K4 GT-Line Turbo a close-ratio, manual box–or a good, crisp two-pedal setup–plus a limited-slip, and then let’s talk.
I don't know about the likelihood of a manual, but I'd like to think Kia coud fit one of DCTs used in the Elantra into the K4.
Also, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a hotter (warmer?) GT version of the K4–especially the hatchback.
Beyond confused why Kia doesnt have the "N" equivalent version of their cars. Hyundai needs to invest more in the performance aspect knowing the success of the Elantra N.
Oh and bring the i20N to the states! PLEASE.
N-version Kias would be cool. Kia was way into motorsports for a hot minute with factory World Challenge and Grand-Am Cup programs, but those days are long gone.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I vaguely remember seeing those Optimas on the TV when I was younger.
And I know Kia has the "GT-Line" and "GT" badges, but I totally get that it's not the same.
In reply to Colin Wood :
I was there for the big unveiling at SEMA. Pretty sure we did a full feature on these cars, too. 
Judging by Kia's strategy as of late, there will not be a warmer version of the K4. The GT-Line is it. They seem to have jettisoned any actual sportiness from their vehicles, and are settling for having the look of being sporty instead. It's disappointing, because they were really getting somewhere with the GT stuff.
This car is a 3/4 version of the outgoing Forte GT performance-wise, retaining the rear multi-link suspension and a few other goodies, but it's not a sporty car. It's down 11 hp thanks to the new engine, saddled with an automatic only (at least it's not a CVT), and it's bigger and porkier.
I am biased, but I think compared to the outgoing Forte, the K4 is UGLY.
Granted, the one on the bottom here is a non-GT-Line, but the proportions are odd and that C-pillar is just a no from me. Someone commented to me that this car looks like 5-6 designers that didn't work together designed the exterior, sent each other their files, and melted it together with AI, and that's the best explanation I can give it. It doesn't look cohesive at all. My Forte GT is on the top, and again, I may be biased, but it looks much better and cleaner than the K4.
If you want a Korean sporty car, just go with the guys across the street at Hyundai.
I have had to rent a series of cars recently, one of which was a low-spec K4. While it didn't do anything to make me excited, when compared with the Toyotas and Nissans of a similar level I found it more refined. As appliances go, it was first-rate.
Kia managed to make a perfectly good 6 speed manual when they built my car.
I wonder what the odds are that the bellhousing and flywheel have the same bolt patterns?
In reply to MadScientistMatt :
The K4 turbo with a six-speed stick would be cool.
Make it, Kia! Like five or six people will buy it.
So how fast does it lap the FIRM?
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