Key highlights
- Kia Sonet scored 1-star in GNCAP safety tests
- South African two-airbag model tested
- Body shell and foot well area reported unstable
If you own a Kia Sonet or plan to buy a new one, we have some bad news for you. Kia’s compact SUV was recently tested for safety by the Global NCAP, and it scored a poor 1-star safety rating. We have all the details sorted for you below.
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Kia Sonet GNCAP safety rating explained
The latest Global NCAP safety testing was conducted on the South African-spec Kia Sonet. While this car is built in India itself, it was a two-airbag model, which means it missed out on the ADAS and other safety features that the top-spec variants get. However, the compact SUV still scored a poor 1-star rating.
As per the GNCAP report, the Sonet received 21.29 points out of 34 points in the Adult Occupant Safety. Meanwhile, it scored 28.57/49 points in the Child Occupant Safety. The report also says that the foot well area and the body shell structure deformed more than the permissible limit. GNCAP says that the Sonet has an unstable body shell.
Since the tested model was equipped with only two airbags, the side pole testing was not conducted. But the weak body shell suggests that it would have been even more catastrophic to conduct a side pole impact test.
In the frontal offset deformable barrier test, it scored 9/16 points. This means good support and safety rating for the driver and the front passenger’s neck and head, along with the co-driver’s chest, and the driver’s left tibia.
With these ratings, the current Sonet owners will definitely feel demotivated. Moreover, new buyers who have made their bookings will also rethink their decision. However, the good news is that a new-gen Sonet is on its way, and it will move to a new K1 platform, which recently debuted on the new-gen Hyundai Venue. This platform is much stronger and safer than the outgoing model.
