Kia Motors’ Soul and Sportage earn top safety ratings in U.S.

Soul

South Korea’s second largest automaker Kia Motors Corp. has acquired the top ratings in a U.S. safety test for its 2018 Soul and 2018 Sportage that are currently in sale in the United States, Kia Motors said on Friday.

According to the company, Soul and Sportage earned the highest rating of “2017 Top Safety Pick+” in a crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), a nonprofit scientific and educational organization in the U.S.

The two vehicles were tested with options of the front crash prevention system and high intensity discharge headlamps fitted in accordance with the added new criteria. IIHS tested cars’ front crash prevention system and headlights, on top of the existing five crashworthiness tests - small front overlap, moderate front overlap, side, roof strength and head restraints and seats.

Sportage

To win the highest ratings, cars must earn ‘good’ or higher ratings in the five crashworthiness tests, ‘advanced’ or higher in the front crash prevention test, and ‘acceptable’ or higher in the headlight test.

Kia’s Soul and Sportage were awarded ‘good’ ratings in all five crashworthiness tests and ‘superior’ in the front crash prevention test, the company said. Six vehicles of the automaker including Soul, Sportage, Forte (K3), Optima (K5), Cadenza (K7), and Sorento earned the best ratings this year.

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