What happened
Euro NCAP, the European New Car Assessment Programme, published its assisted driving grading for the Kia EV3 in June 2025. It tested Highway Driving Assist 2 on the 150 kW, two-wheel-drive version. The car avoided or mitigated a collision in every adaptive cruise control scenario. It stayed within its lane through an S-bend at all test speeds. Euro NCAP found that the car's direct driver monitoring system detects fatigue and several types of distraction. When the driver did not respond, the EV3 made a controlled stop in its lane. When the radar or camera was blocked, it warned in time and did not engage. The EV3 scored 88% for safety backup and 74% for assistance competence. It earned 43.8 of 50 points for collision avoidance. Euro NCAP noted that the system does not lock out the assistance after repeated hands-off warnings. The system also does not adapt its speed for curves or junctions. The tests ran on test tracks, so no crash avoided on public roads is reported. Euro NCAP does not mention AI or machine learning.
Sources
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Assessment report, by authors with no tie to the system.
The car's direct driver monitoring system detects fatigue and several types of distraction.
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Assessment report, by authors with no tie to the system.
Euro NCAP. Kia EV3 - Assisted Driving Datasheet 2025 (version 280525), June 2025. It adds the Very Good verdict and the test scores, including 43.8 of 50 points for collision avoidance and 88% for safety backup.
'Highway Driving Assist 2', as fitted to the Kia EV3, balances a high level of Vehicle Assistance with a similar level of Driver Engagement. Combined with excellent safety back-up, the system, overall, offers Very Good highway assistance.
Details
AI system
- Workflow
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The system combines map-based speed limit data with live camera input. A direct driver monitoring system watches for fatigue and distraction, and the car checks that the driver's hands are on the wheel. A head-up display shows the system's status in the driver's line of sight.
Follow-up
- Conditions for replication
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The driver must monitor the system and stay aware of the road at all times. Poor weather, faded lane markings and construction zones can interrupt the support.
Entry details
- Sector
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Road vehicle assisted driving.
- Purpose
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Kia built Highway Driving Assist 2 to assist the driver with speed, following distance and lane keeping on highways.
Not yet checked: model, release, provider, role, configuration, inputs and outputs, autonomy, human oversight, AI contribution, beneficiaries, reach, distribution and access, duration, every measurement question, every money question, ownership and control, dependencies, cross-border connections, geopolitical implications, replication attempts, availability, institutional decision, grounds, action and result, success criterion, every evidence question, observed or intended, alternative assessments, related entries, other identifiers, category mappings.
Cite this record
Peter H. Vartanian. (2026). Euro NCAP grades Kia's Highway Driving Assist 2 Very Good (AIBD-0877). Artificial Intelligence Benefits Database, edition of 31 October 2026. https://petervartanian.xyz/aibd/records/AIBD-0877.html (archived at https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/AADSII, version 4.0)