India-Made Kia Sonet Sold in South Africa Gets Disappointing GNCAP Safety Score

The Kia Sonet sold in South Africa, which is manufactured in and exported from India, has received a single star for adult occupant protection and three stars for child occupant protection in the latest test by the Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP), under its #SaferCarsForAfrica initiative. These scores do not necessarily reflect the performance of the version sold in India, primarily due to differences in the standard safety equipment mandated in each country.

The Sonet scored 21.29 out of a maximum of 34.00 in adult occupant protection. Bodyshell integrity (frontal) was rated unstable, particularly the footwell. Protection for the driver’s feet and chest was also rated poor in the frontal offset deformable barrier and side movable deformable barrier tests, respectively. However, driver and passenger head and neck protection was good in terms of frontal impact. A side impact test was not performed as curtain airbags are not standard.

ESC is not standard either, and so was not factored into the score, even though GNCAP says the optional equipment meets its technical requirements. Seatbelt reminders are only implemented for the driver.

ACKO Drive has reached out to Kia India for a statement, and will update this story when we receive a response.

As for child occupant protection, the Kia Sonet scored 28.57 out of a potential maximum of 49.00 points. Test dummies approximating a three-year-old and an 18-month-old were fully protected in frontal and side impact tests when in their car seats, installed rearward-facing using standard ISOFIX anchorages. However, the Sonet does not have three-point seatbelts for all seats and it isn’t possible to disable the front passenger airbag even if a child seat is installed in that position.

It is important to note that while two airbags are the minimum requirement in South Africa, India currently mandates six airbags including in the side curtain positions. The Kia Sonet sold here does come with six airbags standard across all variants. While the Indian version of the Sonet has not been tested, Bharat NCAP has awarded the Kia Syros and Seltos full five star ratings. The current Sonet was launched here in January 2024

The Kia Sonet in South Africa was tested alongside the GWM Haval Jolion, which also scored poorly, earning only two stars for adult occupation (30.33 points out of 34.00) and three stars for child occupant protection (31.52 points out of 49.00). Both models are among South Africa’s best-selling cars.

In a statement, Richard Woods, CEO, Global NCAP, said “It is unacceptable that global manufacturers continue to sell cars in Africa with safety standards they would never offer in markets like Europe. The Kia Sonet's one star result and the GWM Haval Jolion's two star result show how far the industry still has to go. Side head protection airbags should be standard on every new car, in every market. African motorists deserve the same life-saving protection as drivers in the rest of the world.”

Bobby Ramagwede, CEO, Automobile Association of South Africa, said “South African motorists should exercise extreme caution when purchasing a new or used entry-level vehicle, as the recent series of crash tests has shown a worrying trend with entry-level models on sale in South Africa lacking adequate crash safety and, perhaps more worryingly, very few of the vehicles tested offering safety ratings similar to those of the same models on sale abroad. The tests also show the significant difference that basic safety features such as side-impact airbags and electronic stability control can make. These features offer a major safety boost to any vehicle and, in most cases, can be added with only a marginal increase in vehicle price.”