You will not lose this car in a parking lot.
This Kia K4 Hatchback dazzles in its optional sparkling yellow paint, but it offers functionality as well.
Kia bills this one as delivering class-leading rear headroom and legroom, and a rear hatch never hurts when it comes to hauling.
This GT-Line Turbo model is powered by a turbocharged four鈥慶ylinder engine making 190 horsepower, paired with what Kia calls a 鈥渟port-tuned suspension.鈥� Based on that horsepower number, one might expect this hatch to feel underpowered. But oomph is ample around town, and there鈥檚 enough punch to make highway merges stress-free. This car can also remind you to behave yourself, with verbal warnings about looming traffic enforcement cameras.
Inside, the cabin is modern and eye-catching. The black-and-white synthetic leather upholstery adds some real visual flair, along with colored ambient lighting strips. The driver gets a view of a huge, wide display that stretches into the middle of the car. Another highlight is the blind spot view monitor, which displays a live video feed of your blind spot on the dash when you use the turn signal.
This one includes a $2,300 Technology Package, which includes Kia鈥檚 Highway Driving Assist 2. Kia said that system 鈥渦ses a front-facing camera, radar sensors, and navigation data to help you maintain a set speed and distance from the detected vehicle ahead while driving on certain highways.鈥� It can additionally 鈥渁ssist with lane changes by providing steering input and guiding the vehicle into the adjacent lane when the turn signal is activated and can also help keep your vehicle centered in its lane,鈥� Kia said.
On this one, the tech package not only includes the multicolor mood lighting and blind spot viewer, but also a 360-degree surround view monitor, ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel.
One tradeoff: The car sits pretty low. It makes entry and exit slightly more difficult for those who are less spry and achier than they used to be.
Even with the added goodies, this one still comes to a reasonable $32,870, including shipping.
