Hyundai Kona - Reliability and safety

The second-generation Hyundai Kona is too new to have made an appearance in our most recent Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, but its predecessor did manage to finish 16th on our list of the best cars to own, which is based on customers’ feedback from the survey. The new Kona’s sister car, the Mk2 Kia Niro, also came 60th.

Hyundai finished in the middle of the pack in our best car manufacturer rankings (also based on Driver Power survey results). The South Korean carmaker took 17th place, behind the likes of Kia (6th) and Peugeot (9th), but well ahead of more premium brands such as BMW (21st) and Mercedes (25th).

The Mk2 Kona received a disappointing four-star out of five rating from safety experts Euro NCAP when it was tested in 2023. The safety experts criticised structures behind the dashboard posing an injury risk, and that the driver slipped under the seatbelt in the frontal collision test (a scenario known as submarining), potentially causing damage to the knees and femur. However, it wasn’t the only SUV for fall fowl of the tougher test, because the Honda ZR-V also got four stars out of five, although the Honda did perform better than the Hyundai in child occupant and vulnerable road user protection, along with superior safety assistance score.

Every Kona is equipped with multiple airbags, driver attention warning, forward collision avoidance assist, lane keep and lane follow assist, tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera. Any automatic petrol, hybrid, or electric Kona also gets adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, whereas all manuals come with regular cruise control. 

N Line S and Ultimate spec also feature a rear cross traffic collision avoidance system to warn you of vehicles crossing your path – useful if you have to reverse on to a main road, blind spot monitoring to let you know of any vehicles alongside you on the motorway if you wish to change lanes, and a 360-degree camera system, among other kit.

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Warranty

Whether you go for the petrol, hybrid or electric Kona, it’ll be covered by the same five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty as all new Hyundais. It might not be the longest standard cover – for instance, Kia and MG both provide seven-year warranties, while Toyota offers up to 10 years of cover (provided you have you car serviced at a franchised Toyota dealer annually). You also get 12 months’ free roadside assistance and annual health checks of your car for up to five years.

Electric versions of the Kona also come with a separate eight-year/100,000-mile guarantee for the battery pack.

Servicing

Hyundai offers flexible servicing plans designed to meet your individual needs. Prices are based on the model of car, expected mileage and how long you want the plan to cover. You can pay for the entire service plan in one lump sum, or spread the cost with flexible payment. Plus you have the ability to cancel a plan at any time.