Toyota Corolla Cross, Kia Seltos and Hyundai Kona Have a Big Safety Gap

There’s still a perception among some drivers that a smaller car is automatically an unsafe one. Yes, the laws of physics aren’t in favor of a 3,000-lb hatchback if it’s hit by a 6,000-lb electric pickup, but in many crash scenarios, a modern compact vehicle is safer than a larger and outdated model.

In the subcompact crossover segment, there are multiple vehicles below $30,000 with exemplary safety ratings. In some cases, they’re safer than larger models. Here, we’ll compare the safety credentials of three popular crossovers, those being the Toyota Corolla Cross, Kia Seltos, and Hyundai Kona. All safety ratings have been obtained from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Corolla Cross Vs. Seltos Vs. Kona Safety Features

Cole Attisha

Kia

Hyundai

Even the cheapest crossovers are now equipped with safety technologies that were once reserved for premium models. These three models are no different and are a good match for each other in terms of their standard and optional safety specification. Here’s a look at their standard and optional features, with all specs being for 2026 models.

The Kona has the most standard and available driver-assistance technologies, although the Corolla Cross has the most airbags and also comes with road sign assist. Not all of these features directly contribute to the safety ratings of each vehicle, though. Every vehicle has the basics in place, including traction control and ABS braking.

It’s worth noting that we are not comparing the all-new 2027 Kia Seltos to these rivals, as that model has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS.

Crash Safety: Hyundai Impresses, Kia Struggles

The first testing category involves crash safety, and the IIHS uses three key tests to evaluate how well a vehicle protects occupants in a crash:

Small Overlap Front

This test involves the vehicle traveling at 40 mph and striking a rigid barrier with 25% of its width on one side. It is performed on both the driver and passenger sides.

Moderate Overlap Front

While the speed in this test is the same (40 mph), the vehicle strikes a rigid barrier with 40% of its width. One crash test dummy is seated in the driver’s seat and another is seated behind the driver.

Side

In this test, an SUV-like rig strikes the vehicle at 37 mph on the driver’s side.

To qualify for an IIHS safety award, a vehicle needs a Good rating in all three tests. An Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor rating immediately disqualifies vehicles from a safety award.

The Hyundai Kona is the only subcompact crossover in this group to qualify for a Top Safety Pick+ award, the highest award given to vehicles that perform well across a range of safety tests. There were no issues with any of the Kona’s safety tests, and these results bode well for the all-new 2027 model.

The Toyota Corolla Cross nearly achieved top scores, but the rear passenger restraints and dummy kinetics were marked down in the moderate overlap front test. The Kia Seltos was the weakest of these three, with its worst score being a Marginal rating in the side-impact test. IIHS experts found that the driver had an especially high risk of pelvis injuries in this test, while those at the back could suffer torso injuries. The structure and safety cage of the Seltos did not hold up as well as expected in the side-impact test.

Overall, there’s a clear winner in crash safety, and that’s the Hyundai Kona. 

Crash Prevention: The Same Pattern Continues

Toyota

Kia

Hyundai

Crash prevention has become increasingly important in modern safety testing. In a 2022 study, it was found that rear-end crashes declined by 49% if the approaching vehicle was equipped with forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. To earn a Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle needs at least Acceptable ratings in these tests.

The IIHS evaluates vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention, pedestrian crash prevention, and headlights. Here’s a look at how each vehicle fared.

Once again, the Kona was the best, followed by the Corolla Cross. The Seltos lagged behind its rivals, as it performed poorly in the vehicle-to-vehicle test. In this test, the Seltos failed to avoid hitting another passenger car more often than the Kona. The Kia also failed to provide the driver with timely warnings when approaching a motorcycle target. Most Seltos trims were also marked down for underperforming headlights.

The Corolla Cross was not tested for the vehicle-to-vehicle test, but it performed well enough in the other two.

The Hyundai Kona is once again the safest vehicle here. The only other subcompact mainstream crossovers to match the Kona’s Top Safety Pick+ designation are the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-30.

Final Verdict

Hyundai

The Hyundai Kona is by some distance the best performer in IIHS safety tests. There are no real weaknesses for the Hyundai, from its crash structure to its ability to avoid a crash in the first place. The Corolla Cross isn’t far behind, and just a few small improvements could see this Toyota achieve a safety award.

Kia’s Seltos end up being the laggard in this company. It has fairly serious flaws in crash prevention and crash safety, so it’s just as well that an all-new Seltos has gone on sale. We expect the 2027 Kia Seltos to improve on its predecessor’s performance. For now, the Hyundai Kona is the small crossover to get in this group if top-notch safety is important to you.

About the author

Karl Furlong

Senior Editor, Autoblog

Karl Furlong is a senior editor at Autoblog covering industry news, luxury cars, in-car technology, sales trends and model comparisons with more than nine years of experience as an automotive writer.