The 2018 Hyundai Kona, a new small SUV, earns good ratings in five crashworthiness tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety but misses out on an award because of poor headlights.
The Kona earns good ratings in the driver-side small overlap, moderate overlap, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. It hasn’t been evaluated for passenger-side small overlap protection.
The Kona is available with an optional front crash prevention system that earns a superior rating. A Kona equipped with the system avoided crashes in IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph. The system also includes a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria.
Despite its good crashworthiness rating and superior front crash prevention, the Kona is ineligible for a TOP SAFETY PICK award because it is only available with poor-rated headlights. The base halogen lights provide inadequate visibility, while the LED lights that come on higher trim levels produce excessive glare for drivers of oncoming vehicles.
