2011 Kia Sorento Safety: “Top Safety Pick”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) presented the “Top Safety Pick” award in the midsize SUV category to the 2011 Kia Sorento compact utility vehicle, along with the 2010 Soul urban passenger vehicle and 2010 Forte compact sedan.

Coming from a sale earlier this year, the Kia Sorento received this honor from the IIHS by having received the highest achievable rate of  “Good” after passing the frontal, side, rear and rollover impact crash safety tests.

On the other hand, the Sedona minivan received the IIHS “Top Safety Pick” and “Safest Minivan Ever Tested” awards just shortly after it was launched in 2006. It then went on to receive the same awards in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Regarding the top performances of Kia cars, Michael Sprague, the marketing vice president of Kia Motors America (KMA) said, “In addition to offering consumers outstanding quality, appealing new design, comfort and value, the Kia brand is first and foremost committed to providing the highest levels of passenger safety.

The 2011 Sorento is an example of Kia’s ongoing and rapid vehicle expansion, demonstrating that buyers can have an affordable, well-equipped and attractive CUV without sacrificing impressive levels of crash protection.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety chooses vehicles for its “Top Safety Pick” award based on results from frontal, side and rear impact crash tests. For the 2010 pick, a new category was added, which was a good performance from a roof strength test that aimed to measure protection in case a vehicle rolls over from an actual crash. Each vehicle was evaluated based on a number of measurements that are specific to each crash angle.

The overall impact on a crash test dummy was also measured as the dummy banged and rolled inside the vehicle at the time of collision. It was important for all the vehicles to have electronic stability control in order to be eligible for the pick.

For a car owner or car buyer whose main concern in purchasing a car is a vehicle’s safety, the 2011 Sorento has plenty of standard safety equipments to offer. All trims (LX, EX and the upcoming SX) for the Sorento come equipped with driver and passenger advanced front airbags, side curtain airbags and front active headrests, front seat-mounted side airbags, four-wheel Antilock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).

Also, two special yet standard safety features on all models are the Hill Start Assist Control (HAC) and Downhill Brake Control (DBC). The HAC helps prevent the vehicle from rolling backward upon attempting to pull away from an uphill gradient. The DBC, on the other hand, allows the vehicle to move steadily and straight as it negotiates a steep descent.

The Kia Sorento is actually the first Kia car that came off the line at Kia’s modern, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia. The all-new Sorento embodies both the company’s unique and attractive designs as well as qualities with which Kia has always been known for – value, safety and style.