I went to drive something called the Kia K4 for CarGurus recently. This, I have discovered, is the Korean brand’s new family hatchback. Think of it as Kia’s take on the Volkswagen Golf.
It’s refreshingly back to basics, the K4. Mostly just because it’s a hatchback with absolutely no pretence whatsoever at being an SUV, which is a rare thing these days. It’s just a family hatchback, and it’s happy to be one. I really enjoyed that about the K4 because, let’s face it; we live in a world of niche models.
Kia is an excellent case in point, in fact. It currently has 14 different passenger vehicles on its books. The smallest is the excellent little Picanto, the biggest are the (also excellent) Sorento and EV9. But let’s play a game of ‘what’s that model in the middle’ shall we?
With the launch of the Kia K4, there are now five different models in the middle of the Kia range measuring very close to 4.4-metres long.
The Kia Niro is a 4.42-metre crossover offering self-charging-hybrid or plug-in-hybrid powertrains.
The Kia XCeed is a 4.39-metre long crossover offering petrol or mild hybrid powertrains.
The Kia K4 is a hatchback measuring 4.4-metres and offering mild hybrid or petrol powertrains.
There’s also the Kia Stonic, which is a smaller crossover measuring just under 4.2m.
The EV3 and EV4 are the pure electric offerings, of course, and they measure 4.30m and 4.43m long, respectively.
Now, I will say right now that Kia is just one example of many manufacturers that have a bewildering kaleidoscope of crossovers, SUVs and hatchbacks that all seem to do much the same job.
I mean, have a look at Volkswagen. Would you prefer the Taigo, T-Cross or T-Roc? They’re all 4.2- to 4.3m long, or thereabouts, and they’re all compact crossovers, so you really are spoiled for choice.
Unnecessarily so, some might argue. And I haven’t even mentioned the standard Polo and Golf that also do a very similar job to all of these cars, never mind the electric VW ID.3 and forthcoming ID.Polo.
And don’t get me started on BYD, which currently seems to be launching a new model every 48 hours. Many of which are crossovers and SUVs that seem to do a similar job to about two other models in its range. The BYD Atto 2 and BYD Dolphin are both five-door electric hatchbacks with a WLTP range of around 260 miles, but one is 2cm longer than the other. Go figure.
But was it the consumer that wanted everything to be a crossover? Or did the automotive industry get carried away with the success of the Nissan Qashqai, and start churning out peculiar niche cars that are just unnecessary? Would the average car buyer – or, indeed the average car maker – be worse off if there was no Kia XCeed or VW Taigo? Wouldn’t there just be more Kia Niros or VW T-Rocs on the roads?
Ford would disagree, as it’s done away with the Fiesta and Focus, but its Puma (a compact crossover, of course) is one of the best-selling cars in the UK and seems to be filling the role of both.
For what it’s worth, I do think that most manufacturers have become carried away with filling every imaginable niche in the market with a new model. And I suspect it’s a marketing exercise designed to keep the range fresh and to keep new models attracting buyers, more than anything. Don’t get me wrong: crossovers are here to stay, and that’s fine. I have no issue with that. But it doesn’t mean that we need five different crossovers from every manufacturer, all catering to such a similar lifestyle.
And also, if the likes of VW, Kia and many others have felt the need to do this, why has Tesla gotten away with being one of the world’s biggest electric car manufacturers despite currently only having two models on its books? Tesla has (ironically, for one of the youngest marques out there) gone very 1980s in its model selection, with either a saloon or an SUV. Millions of people have been very happy to choose between one of those and live with it.
I know that most manufacturers have found it necessary to offer a huge range of models for some 20 years now, and I know that many of the models that I’ve thought were a bit weird and niche in the past have now become hugely successful.
I mean, I thought that big coupe-SUVs like the BMW X6 were a terrible idea and wouldn’t be very successful, so what do I know? Mind you, I do still think they’re a terrible idea.
I appreciate that this may be an outdated view, but surely having slightly fewer models wouldn’t be an inconvenience to the car buyer and may even benefit the manufacturers’ profit margins? And a return to pleasantly straightforward hatchbacks like the Kia K4, and a few less muddle-in-the-middle crossovers, wouldn’t be a bad thing for anyone.
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