2011 Kia Sportage Named "2010 Top Safety Pick" By Insurance Institute For Highway Safety In U.S.

SYDNEY – Aug 20, 2010: Joining the 2010 Forte compact sedan (Cerato in Australia), 2010 Souland 2011 Sorento, the all-new 2011 Sportage CUV has been recognized as a “Top Safety Pick” by the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the small SUV category.

The Sportage, which was launched in Australia earlier this month, received the organization’s top honor by earning “Good” ratings – the highest achievable – in frontal, side, rear and rollover impact crash safety tests.

The Sedona minivan (badged as Carnival in Australia) was the first Kia vehicle to receive the IIHS “Top Safety Pick,” along with the “Safest Minivan Ever Tested” distinction from IIHS, shortly after its launch in 2006, and again in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

“The Kia brand is committed to providing consumers with the highest levels of passenger safety by providing a comprehensive list of cutting-edge technologies and features for increased crash protection,” said Michael Sprague, vice-president, marketing & communications, Kia Motors America (KMA).

“The 2011 Sportage’s sleek and modern appearance continues Kia’s design-led transformation while staying true to the company’s core philosophy of providing consumers with exciting, fun-to-drive vehicles with high levels of value, quality and safety.”

Ratings from the Institute are based on results from frontal, side and rear impact crash tests, and for 2010 a good performance in a roof strength test – to measure protection in a rollover – also was required to win. Each vehicle’s overall evaluation was based on various measurements specific to each crash angle, and overall impact on crash test dummies inside the vehicle at the time of collision. All vehicles must have electronic stability control available to be eligible.

Like all Kia vehicles, the 2011 Sportage is equipped with a long list of standard safety equipment. Driver and passenger front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags, side curtain airbags and front active headrests, four-wheel Antilock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with rol-over sensor, Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), and a Brake Assist System (BAS), which recognizes an emergency stop and delivers significant braking power. Hill Start Assist Control (HAC) and Downhill Brake Control (DBC) also come standard on all models, the former assisting in preventing the vehicle from rolling backward when trying to pull away from an uphill gradient, while the latter locks the vehicle at a slow speed down steep grades so the driver can focus their attention on steering.

To assist drivers when the vehicle is in reverse, an available back-up warning sensor helps the driver avoid contact with certain objects in the vehicle’s path by triggering an audible warning when the vehicle approaches an obstruction, while an available rear-view back-up camera enables drivers to view behind the vehicle.