Hyundai calls for ANCAP rating rethink

Hyundai Australia COO John Kett has called for a reframing of how safety ratings from the independent ANCAP safety agency are regarded in the wake of the new Hyundai Kona compact SUV receiving a sub-par four-star safety rating.

The rating – which applies to petrol, hybrid and electric Kona variants – hurts its sales prospects because many large private and government fleets have a strict five-star ANCAP policy.

Kett says that a four-star rating is regarded as acceptable in Europe and should be the same in Australia, where the message currently is that only the maximum five stars should be tolerated.

He pointed out the replacement for the big-selling Kona achieved its four-star rating against the latest 2023 ANCAP protocols, while older vehicles have five-star ratings received under older ANCAP protocols that aren’t as tough.

“[Kona is] certainly a four-star car and that’s totally accepted,” said Kett. “But… a four-star 2023 protocol is significantly safer than 2022-21-20 five-star.

“So… I can’t buy this car because it says four but I can buy this car because it says five… So you sit there scratching your head, but you just have to accept it.”

Kett says it’s an argument that is rejected in Australia but should be at least discussed.

“When you talk about it openly it’s as though you want to hurt someone, so you just don’t talk about it,” he said. “We can’t have a mature conversation.

“Surely someone can say ‘It’s a four-star because the protocols in 2023 are so tough. But I tell you what, the four-star protocol is good enough to buy because if you are buying a 2020-protocol five-star you can be assured this [newer] car is better’.

“We don’t even do something simple like that.”

The upgrades from the 2020-22 to 2023 ANCAP protocols included new autonomous emergency braking and lane safety system motorcycle testing, tougher pedestrian and cyclist AEB detection testing and the addition of child detection and submergence testing.

ANCAP reported the new second-generation Kona was limited to four-stars due to its performance in the assessment areas of Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist, where thresholds of 70 per cent apply to qualify for five-stars.

The Kona achieved scores of 64 per cent and 62 per cent in these areas respectively, with performance of its AEB system assessed as adequate in tests with pedestrians and cyclists.

The emergency lane keeping (ELK) system fitted to the Kona also showed adequate performance, including in ELK tests with a motorcycle.

Hyundai says nothing can be done to address the Kona’s rating and potentially bumping it to five stars until a mid-life facelift at the earliest.

Kett said Hyundai has pushed harder into the private market in recent times to overcome the fleet sales restrictions. But he remains frustrated by it.

“If four-star is good enough in Europe to sell to government and large fleets, why isn’t it good enough in Australia?” he asked.

“Those fleet and government customers who probably get the greatest discount in the marketplace are more stringent on the five stars, which seems weird doesn’t it?

“We just have to work our way through that outcome.”

The Kona isn’t the only model in the Hyundai range with ANCAP scoring issues. The small Venue light SUV gets four stars against 2019 protocols, while a whole bunch of models and variants aren’t rated at all.

They include the i30 and Sonata sedans, the Santa Fe hybrid and the i20 N and i30 N hot hatches.