The Kona Electric has become the first electric vehicle to be crash tested in Australia, achieving the maximum ANCAP five-star safety rating in the process.
The Kona Electric underwent a frontal offset crash test and received an audit test score of 14.97 out of 16.00, slightly better than the 14.07 achieved by the petrol engine variant which was tested in 2017.
The frontal offset test simulates a head-on crash with another vehicle of the same mass and travelling at the same speed. This is a type of collision which represents 60 per cent of serious crashes on Australian roads.
The test saw 40 per cent of the front driver’s side of the Kona Electric collide with a crushable aluminium barrier at 64 km/h.
Kona’s overall score of 35.07 out of 37.00 is the sum of its frontal offset test result, its maximum possible scores in the side impact and pole crash tests, and its maximum score for the inclusion of seat belt reminders.
“Kona Electric’s pioneering position as the first ever EV crash tested in Australia, and its continuing ANCAP maximum five-star safety rating, further underscores Hyundai’s eco vehicle leadership,” said JW Lee, CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Australia.