Kia K4 vs. Hyundai Elantra: A Showdown of Interior Design Innovation

Kia K4’s Design Revealed: A Detailed Look Inside Reveals
It is sufficiently threatening to Elantra

On March 21 (US local time), Kia’s new model, K4, which had been highly anticipated for a long time, finally appeared. The K4, developed as a successor to the compact sedan K3, is characterized by a crossover style that resembles a combination of a sedan, an SUV, and a significantly larger body.

It is armed with a design and product value that surpasses the vehicle segment to compete with Hyundai’s Elantra (Avante for the South Korean market), a powerful competitor. The interior also attracts attention by applying Kia’s latest design trends. Let’s look at the details by section.

Somewhere Between a Sedan and an SUV: A Futuristic Interior

First, let’s take a quick look at the exterior. It blends naturally with the futuristic exterior and interior. Like the upper model K5, it has a fastback shape, and the cladding applied to the wheel arches emphasizes the subtle position between a sedan and an SUV.

The second-row door handles are hidden near the windows, creating a coupe-like feel, and the rear quarter glass appears to add to the spacious, open feel of the second row.

The interior view revealed that, this time, it was only the first row. It appears to be faithful to the trend, with a horizontal design dashboard and a spacious panoramic display. The Kia emblem on the horn cover is unique as it has a biased design for the brand’s first time. Instead of a monochrome color, a green interior color with a tone closer to nature has been chosen.

Equipped with a Head-Up Display
Many designs for EV9 are applied

In the steering wheel case, the D-cut shape was applied to both the bottom and top. Two-tone colors, rare in compact vehicles, are used to add luxury. In the case of the large digital cluster, it is known to be 12.3 inches with a center display, and a head-up display (HUD) is also applied. Five physical buttons are placed on the top of the door handle on the driver’s side, including the steering wheel and seat heating, ventilation, and driving posture memory. The electronic parking brake switch and the TCS off button are at the dashboard’s bottom left.

The center fascia resembles the semi-large electric SUV EV9, which was launched first. To add convenience, a 5-inch air conditioning control display has been added between the cluster and center screen. Of course, a separate physical button for operating the air conditioning system is also provided on the center fascia. The audio power and volume control buttons are in the center with a dial. Additional angles are added to both corners of the display to reduce monotony.

Targeting North American Tastes
Is the audio a Harman/Kardon product?

In the case of the center console below, it can be seen that consumer needs were actively reflected. Because it targets the North American market, a mechanical shift selector tailored to local consumer tastes was applied. The USB C-type terminal is designed to allow the selection of charging and data transfer, as applied to Hyundai’s Kona. In the case of the cup holder, it was applied as a variable type for multiple uses. This also appears to have been allocated a reasonably ample space to suit the North American market.

In the case of the passenger seat, the atmosphere is quite different. The asymmetrical interior is applied in various colors for the dashboard and door trim. Like the driver’s seat, ventilation and heating buttons are applied to the top of the door handle, and a door lock button is also provided on the passenger seat. The logo attached to the speaker inside the bottom of the door trim means that an optional Harman/Kardon audio system is provided. The K4 is expected to have a marketability that will overwhelm the Elantra (Avante for the South Korean market). Still, unfortunately, it is reported that there are no immediate plans to launch it in the South Korean market. Some speculate that the launch of the K4 in the South Korean market may have been blocked due to concerns about a decline in Elantra sales.