The all-new 2009 Kia Borrego has achieved a five-star crash safety rating, the highest rating possible, for all seating positions in the latest frontal and side impact crash tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This is the first time Borrego has been tested by the government agency.

The seven-passenger Borrego is the latest entry in the midsize SUV segment and offers the same high level of standard safety equipment that has become synonymous with the Kia brand as well as additional features exclusive to the midsize SUV. Standard safety features include: advanced airbags, front seat mounted side airbags, full-length side-curtain airbags for all three rows and driver’s knee airbag (V8 models only); four-wheel disc brakes with an antilock brake system (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), and traction control system (TCS); tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS); electronic brake distribution (EBD); and a brake assist system (BAS).

“Borrego is Kia’s newest vehicle and it is a prime example of our commitment and dedication to providing the best and most up-to-date standard safety features in vehicles for consumers,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America (KMA) and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). “Borrego joins four other Kia models — Optima, Sportage, Sorento and Sedona — in garnering a five-star crash safety rating, and further positions Kia as a serious up-and-coming contender in today’s competitive and economically challenging automotive market.” [Source: Kia Motors America]