Kia will be presenting the latest successor to the Kia Forte / Cerato at next Wednesday’s opening of the 2024 New York International Auto Show. The C-segment sedan will be given a new name, now simply known as the Kia K4.

The model will sit between the D-segment Kia K5 (Optima name is no longer used) and the B-segment Kia K3 (new name for Kia Rio Sedan).

Kia will only share more details about the K4 during the model’s global debut next Wednesday, so for now, all we have are these photos.

Inside, the Kia K4 has a new look steering wheel, with an offset Kia logo. The digital instrument panel and infotainment display is now a one-piece item. Thankfully, physical buttons for basic infotainment functions like volume and audio source, and air-conditioning temperature and fan speed are retained.

The outgoing Kia Forte is still on sale the US with two engine options – a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder (147 hp / 179 Nm), or a 1.6-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder (201 hp / 264 Nm).

The new generation Kia K4 will very likely feature a hybrid. Although the C-segment sedan market is shrinking segment – now accounting less than 10% of total new car sales in USA, still the world’s biggest market for sedans – sales models like the Toyota Corolla grew its sales by 5% there last year, boosted by rising popularity of hybrids.

If you are wondering if the Kia K4 will be introduced in our part of the world, the answer is no. Kia no longer makes right-hand drive sedans. Kia sedans are focused only at satisfying demand in USA, Canada, Middle East, Korea, and China – markets where sedans are still in high demand.