The Korean manufacturer has announced that, from 2026, the new K4 compact hatchback will replace the iconic Ceed in European catalogues. This marks the start of a new electrified era for Kia on the Old Continent, as the Ceed will also be offered as a hybrid.
In 2007, when Kia launched the Ceed, then spelt ‘cee’d’, it was with the aim of taking on the Golf, Focus and Mégane, then the reigning champions of compact budget hatchbacks. Mission accomplished, because although we don’t know the sales figures for the third and latest generation, the first two were produced in excess of 600,000 units each. Above all, it enabled Kia to make a name for itself in Europe. Now, almost two decades later, the Ceed is preparing for a well-deserved retirement.
A new string to Kia’s bow
Already ‘rivalled’ by its electric cousin, the EV4, the Ceed now sees the arrival on the Old Continent of the K4, which will replace it definitively in 2026. This is the hatchback version of the classic K4 saloon already sold in other markets.
While this K4 hatchback remains in the C segment (cars between 4.10 m and 4.50 m long) at 4.44 m, it is still almost 20 cm longer than the first Ceed. Above all, it offers a design that we now associate with electric cars. In fact, it looks a lot like the EV4, with its plunging roof, receding grille, knife-edge lines, ultra-modern light signature and large glazed sections. The Ceed seems to have turned the page…
A hybrid version of the Kia K4 coming soon
Kia has chosen to present its K4 hatchback to Europeans with… combustion engines! Petrol engines with outputs ranging from 115 to 180 bhp… Strange, given that a ban on the sale of combustion engines is on the horizon, but it’s understandable, 10 years is a long time, and it will give Kia time to sell a good number of units of its new K4.
So why are we talking about it on ECO MOTORS NEWS? Well, because a HEV or full hybrid version – non-rechargeable hybrids for those who haven’t read the electromobility glossary – is planned for 2026. This is the real revolution at Kia: the Korean manufacturer will be able to position itself in two strategic markets, particularly in Europe: the compact saloon market and the non-rechargeable hybrid market. Enough to make the 308, its announced nemesis, tremble?
