The passenger compartment of the KONA remained stable in the frontal offset test.  Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger.  Hyundai showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions.  Protection of the passenger dummy was good for all critical body areas in this test.  In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of the driver dummy was good for all critical parts of the body and that of the rear passenger was good apart from the chest, protection of which was adequate.  In the side barrier test, the KONA scored maximum points, with good protection for all body areas.  Even in the more severe side pole impact, protection of the chest was adequate and that of other parts of the body was good.  In that test, the front windscreen became detached from the vehicle.  The car used for the pole test had previously been used for the pedestrian headform tests and the screen detachment was a consequence of incorrect bonding of the replacement.  This behaviour is not representative of production KONAs but has no influence on the dummy readings recorded in the test.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric assessment of the rear seats indicated marginal whiplash protection.  An autonomous emergency braking system is available as part of an optional safety pack.  In tests, it showed good performance at the low speeds at which many whiplash injuries are caused but the results are not included in this assessment because the equipment is not standard.

In the frontal offset test, protection of both dummies was good or adequate for all critical body areas.  In the side barrier test, the head of the 10 year dummy 'bottomed out' the curtain airbag but dummy readings indicated adequate protection for this part of the body.  Otherwise, protection of both child dummies was good.  The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.  The rear centre seating position failed the installation test for two belted universal restraints, owing to interference between the restraint and the buckle.  Otherwise, restraints could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.

The protection provided by the bonnet to the head of a struck pedestrian was predominantly good or adequate but poor results were recorded along the base of the windscreen and on the stiff windscreen pillars.  Protection of pedestrians' legs by the bumper was good at all test locations, and protection of the pelvis was good or adequate.  The autonomous emergency braking system performed adequately in tests against a pedestrian target but the results are not included in this rating as the system is part of an optional safety pack.

A seatbelt reminder is standard for front and rear seats, together with a driver-set speed limiter.  Lane support is provided by a system that warns the driver when the car is drifting out of lane and gently corrects the steering path.  The autonomous emergency braking system performed well in tests of its functionality at highway speeds but the results are not included in this assessment as the system is part of an optional safety pack.