The Elantra’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The K4 doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.
The Elantra has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the K4’s blind spot costs extra.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Elantra has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the K4 LXS/EX/GT-Line offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning.
The Elantra (except SE) offers an optional Blue Link, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The K4 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.
Both the Elantra and the K4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available rear parking sensors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Elantra is safer than the Kia K4:
|
Elantra |
K4 |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
142 |
375 |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
66/48 lbs. |
147/158 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
314 |
349 |
Chest Compression |
.6 inches |
.7 inches |
Neck Compression |
6 lbs. |
70 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
135/61 lbs. |
315/48 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Elantra is safer than the Kia K4:
|
Elantra |
K4 |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
83 |
222 |
Hip Force |
327 lbs. |
361 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
355 lbs. |
678 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Spine Acceleration |
40 G’s |
42 G’s |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.