Warning to people who bought a popular Kia car in South Africa
The Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP) has given the entry-level model of the Kia Sonet sold in South Africa a 1-star adult protection rating.
The score resulted from crash tests conducted in Germany on behalf of the Automobile Association of South Africa as part of its #SaferCarsForAfrica campaign.
The insurance company anonymously purchases various popular vehicles in South Africa for independent crash tests overseas.
While some of these cars have already been scored in other markets, manufacturers sometimes strip out key safety features in entry-level models to reduce costs before putting them on sale in South Africa.
The German scientists conducting the tests found significant structural issues and a lack of side head collision protection in the Kia Sonet.
“The footwell area and bodyshell were unstable and not capable of withstanding further loadings,” the AA said.
“In the side impact test, poor chest protection limited the adult protection rating to one star, while abdomen protection was rated as adequate.”
No side pole test was conducted because side head protection airbags were not fitted as standard, which meant the vehicle automatically failed this portion of the test by default.
The Sonet fared better in child occupant protection, with both child dummies receiving full protection during the dynamic test.
However, the absence of 3-point belts in all seating positions, the lack of a passenger airbag disabling switch, and a low child restraint system installation score resulted in a 3-star rating.
AA CEO Bobby Ramagwede said the findings highlighted how South African motorists should exercise extreme caution when purchasing a new or used entry-level vehicle.
“The recent series of crash tests has shown a worrying trend with entry-level models on sale in South Africa lacking adequate crash safety,” Ramagwede said.
“Perhaps more worryingly, very few of the vehicles tested offer safety ratings similar to those of the same models on sale abroad.”
Global NCAP CEO Richard Woods concurred. “It is unacceptable that global manufacturers continue to sell cars in Africa with safety standards they would never offer in markets like Europe,” he said.
Side head protection airbags must be standard — AA
The Kia Sonet has frequently featured among the top 20 best-selling cars in South Africa. In May 2026, it placed 18th with 689 units.
Despite being from a South Korean brand, the Kia Sonet is built in India, from where around 60% of South Africa’s vehicles are imported.
While its safety had previously not been tested independently, it shares a platform with the Hyundai Venue, which is also built in India.
The Venue achieved a 4-star Australasian NCAP (ANCAP) safety rating in 2019 and a 5-star safety rating in the recently launched Bharat NCAP.
However, the model tested at ANCAP had six airbags as standard across the range, while Bharat NCAP’s scoring system is far less stringent than Global NCAP’s.
While the most recent Venue models rolled out in South Africa also come with six airbags across all models, the Sonet has just two airbags.
Ramagwede argued that 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,” Ramagwede said.
“The apathy being shown by local OEMs regarding the remedying of past test results is also quite telling.”
Ramagwede argued that basic safety features like side-impact airbags and electronic stability control can make a significant difference.
“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,” he said.
Ramagwede welcomed the responses from Hyundai, Toyota, and Chery in addressing the poor safety scores some of their vehicles had achieved.
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