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The Kia booth at KLIMS 2026 was all about previews.
At KLIMS this year Kia previewed the K4 and even showed a couple of electric models like the EV4 and EV5. The PV5 should be arriving later on during KLIMS 2026 but it was not present on the media day. There were no new model launches, but the company used their ‘Kia Pavillion’ to showcase the Kia brand’s diversity and the strength of its global portfolio.
Interestingly, Kia Sales Malaysia worked with Max Jala, a Malaysian visual artist and programmer to create dream-like digital visual experiences for the event. The media was shown one during the K4 preview, but we also spotted an Xbox One Kinect Sensor at the base of the main stage which was part of a system designed by Jala to give showgoers an interactive digital experience once KLIMS opens up to the public.
Undoubtedly, the main ‘dish’ of the event was the Kia K4 sedan. This is the successor to the Kia Forte, which was perhaps the brand’s most successful model in Malaysia in terms of market share. The Forte arrived locally assembled and was eagerly adopted in Malaysia for a number of reasons. It had a handsome and conservative Peter Schreyer design paired with a (then) modern design, a LOT of equipment (including 6 airbags) at a starting price that matched some non-national B-segment sedans. This was perhaps also the model most responsible for dispelling rumours that Korean cars were unreliable, as many are still being driven to this day with hundreds of thousands of kilometers clocked with just basic maintenance.
The Kia K4 may signal a return to a high-value mass market sedan entry for the brand in Malaysia. While the final spec is still up for debate, a brand representative was eager to suggest the full-spec GT-Line model with a 1.6 turbocharged petrol engine and an 8-speed automatic is the primary configuration under consideration.
The Kia EV4 and EV5 were also shown – both with rather impressive range and specifications for their class. With the right price, Kia could the first brand to bring proper competition to the Chinese engineered EVs currently in our market. They have clout with more conservative minded buyers while still offering a price to performance advantage over the premium German rivals in the EV space.
Finally, the PV5 was mentioned in some marketing material but was not present at media day. It is our understanding that it SHOULD be on display some time later on for the public. It’s a rather unique and interesting electric vehicle that is designed for modular configuration – making it relatively easy to create a niche electric transport out of the robust E-GMP.
Here’s the full recording of the various presenters at the KIA showcase, which happened towards the end of the day as KLIMS 2026’s media day came to a close.
