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JANUARY 19: Kona Electric driven in Australia
Hyundai's new electric Kona is here, finally, and it presents as a more thought-provoking option than any would've thought when we first drove it way back in November.
December: Euro NCAP scoring announced
The new Hyundai Kona has come close to receiving a lowly three-star crash rating after placing last out of 11 vehicles tested by Euro NCAP.
Hyundai's second-generation small SUV was joined by the new Honda ZR-V midsized SUV and VinFast VF8 as the only models to miss out on a five-star rating.
Independent crash-test body Euro NCAP said that while the ZR-V fell just below the thresholds required for a maximum score, the Kona's performance was a "real disappointment".
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"[The Kona] scrapes by with four stars, [but] in reality [is] lucky to avoid three stars," said Euro NCAP in its accompanying release.
"This result is due to its substandard test performance, especially in driver assistance and crash avoidance.
"Hyundai has made the car larger and its interior bigger to compete within its class, but the company should not assume that its customers are content with a level of safety which lags behind its competitors."
What's a 4-Star rating worth?
It's worth noting that Euro NCAP's own system defines four stars as "Overall good performance in crash protection and all round; additional crash avoidance technology may be present".
The local ANCAP system is more 'glass half empty', describing four stars thus: "Provides an adequate level of safety performance yet fell short in one or more key assessment areas. May present a higher injury risk to occupants and/or other road users in certain scenarios or have a reduced ability to avoid a crash."
While Euro NCAP said the Kona's passive-safety protection struggled in some areas in the frontal offset test, the Kona missed out on the maximum five stars only owing to the assessment of its active-safety systems.
NCAP gave the Hyundai a low 60 percent scoring for Safety Assist, mainly noting the lack of AEB (autonomous emergency braking) for when approaching a car crossing a junction and a "marginal" result for its car-head-on AEB performance.
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Euro NCAP commended the Kona for its protection in the Side Barrier and Side Pole Impact, and the Hyundai's 80 per cent score for Adult Occupant Protection was fractionally higher than the 79 per cent given to the ZR-V (pictured above).
It also scored 83 per cent for Child Occupant protection.
The Venue baby SUV is the only other current Hyundai to miss out on a five-star crash rating, also scoring four stars.
The BMW 5 Series, BYD Seal U, BYD Tang, Kia EV9, Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, VW ID.7 and Smart 3 all scored five stars in NCAP's final testing of 2023.
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