CIRCLE THIS WAGON? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Kia steps up its offering to customers in search of a compact combustion family estate with this trendier-looking K4 Sportswagon. Jonathan Crouch checks it out.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 44

Kia has had a re-think about how to design compact family-sized combustion estate cars and come up with this, the K4 Sportswagon. Compared to anything the brand has previously brought us in this segment, it's more practical, better looking and should have wider appeal.

Backgroundword count: 108

What's that old adage? If at first you don't succeed, try, try again? Well we've had 20 years of Korean maker Kia bringing us several generations of its compact family estate, the Ceed Sportswagon. But that model never made much impact on the UK market. So Kia is now trying to succeed in this niche sector with a similarly-targeted combustion model that isn't called 'Ceed'; this car, the K4 Sportswagon. This of course is the estate version of the K4 hatch, the model the Korean maker has introduced to replace all variants of Ceed. But there are differences this time round. As we're going to find out here.

Driving Experienceword count: 217

As with the hatch version of this car, the only kind of electrification available to K4 Sportswagon customers is the familiar 48V mild hybrid 1.0 T-GDi 115PS three cylinder petrol unit, which offers 200Nm of torque and can be had with either manual or seven-speed DCT auto transmission. 0-62mph takes 12.3s. The alternative four cylinder 1.6 T-GDi powerplant is un-electrified, auto-only and available with either 147 or 177bhp. This top unit has 250Nm of torque and can make 62mph in 9.1s in 147bhp form - or 8.4s in 177bhp guise. A Drive Mode Select system offers three settings, 'Normal', 'Eco' and 'Sport'. If you're happy to wait a bit before placing your order, a new full-Hybrid unit will join the line-up shortly. Like its Ceed predecessor, all versions of this K4 get the kind of properly sophisticated multi-link rear suspension that you still do without in some lower powered versions of family hatch sector rivals. And, as usual with Kias, there's a wide range of semi-autonomous ADAS drive assist features; 'Highway Driving Assist 2.0' keeps you a safe distance from the car ahead, stayed centred in lane, plus it can change lanes for you and adjust lateral positioning. 'Smart Cruise Control' can bring the car to a complete controlled stop if you're taken ill at the wheel.

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