Kia has been given a rap over the knuckles by ANCAP with separate safety ratings for different grades of its K4 sedan.
All grades apart from the entry S receive a full five stars for safety.
The S has been demoted to four stars.
This is because it does not get the full range of safety systems fitted to the others.
K4 S without the optional safety pack has different hardware and software than higher variants.
ANCAP says the omission of the hardware component and subsequent software tune sees its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system unable to detect or react in T-bone intersection crossing scenarios.
Oncoming and overtaking emergency lane keep (ELK) functionality is provided on the base S variant – as it is on higher grades – however the tuning of the crash avoidance software fitted to the base S variant does not detect other cars or motorcycles in the adjacent lane, thus posing a greater crash threat.
These differences see the Safety Assist score for the S reduce by 13 per cent, resulting in a four-star rating.
The Vulnerable Road User Protection score is also lower than that of higher-specified variants.
As was the case with its predecessor, the Cerato, Kia has opted to sell the K4 with safety specifications that vary between variants.
K4 S is priced from $30,590; the K4 with optional safety upgrade is another $2100 or $32,690.
This is a common practice in the car industry and ANCAP has warned consumers to carefully consider which variant they choose.
A dual rating is permitted by ANCAP in cases where specified active safety features are optional.
To qualify, these features must be available on base variants in the form of a ‘Safety Pack’.
“The five-star rating achieved by the majority of K4 variants is encouraging news for private and fleet customers,” ANCAP’s Carla Hoorweg said.
“However, it is important for consumers to note that the base grade without the Safety Pack does not provide the same level of standard safety.
“In 2025, safety should not be treated as a ‘pay-for’ option.
“Our advice for consumers is to check before you buy. Make sure you know the ANCAP safety rating of the specific vehicle model and variant you’re considering, as there can be important differences that aren’t immediately obvious, or that may not be explained at the point of sale.
“Our message for Kia is to provide the same standard level of safety across the model range. Consumers should not have to pay extra for safety, nor should they have to compromise on safety when buying to a budget.”
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