All-new Kia Sorento awarded 5-Star Euro NCAP rating

The all-new Kia Sorento ‘Highline Cruiser’ SUV has been awarded a 5-Star safety rating (the maximum score) in the latest Euro NCAP crash test results published today (Wednesday). The Sorento’s safety ratings* – with scores of 87% for Adult Occupant Protection, 84% for Child Protection and 71% for Safety Assist equipment – place the Kia among the safest mid-sized SUV cars.

“The latest Euro NCAP result is another landmark achievement for Kia. This is our third 5-Star Euro NCAP rating for a new model. It is a superb follow-up to the ratings achieved by the Kia cee’d in 2007** and the Kia Soul earlier this year. New Sorento was designed and engineered to meet or surpass the expectations of European, North American and global consumers in every respect – including safety,” commented Mr Benny Oeyen, Marketing Director, Kia Motors Europe.

“Safety engineers at Kia’s world-class Namyang R&D facility in Korea developed the new Sorento SUV to provide the highest levels of occupant protection in real-world accident scenarios. Our engineers predicted that Sorento would achieve a 5-Star rating in both Euro NCAP and the very different NHTSA tests in the USA. Now, this Euro NCAP result confirms the major advances made by Kia with its latest SUV,” added Mr Oeyen.

“The combination of this all-new model’s many talents, with seating for five or up to seven occupants, plus the 5-Star safety rating will make the Sorento even more attractive to consumers, offering real peace-of-mind,” concluded Oeyen.

Every Sorento model supplied in Western Europe features an Electronic Stability Programme as standard. Sorento buyers in other European markets can specify ESP as a factory-fitted option. This system comes together with TCS (all-speed Traction Control System) and BAS (emergency Brake Assistance System).

If a collision is unavoidable, new Kia Sorento is engineered to safeguard the occupants with a range of ‘passive safety’ measures as standard – starting with its all-new, all-steel monocoque bodyshell. Featuring high-tensile strength steel in key areas, the bodyshell is designed to offer occupants good protection in front, side, rear and roll-over accidents.

Every Sorento sold in Europe is equipped as standard with dual front airbags, front side and full-length curtain airbags (to protect the occupants in all three seat rows), height-adjustable front seatbelts with pretensioners and belt load-limiters, plus three-point seat belts for all middle row and back row seat occupants. In addition, all Sorento models can be ordered with ‘active’ front seat head restraints to protect against whiplash injuries.

Editors’ Notes

*2009 Kia Sorento

The full Euro NCAP test results for New Kia Sorento are:

**Euro NCAP

The Kia cee’d earned a 5-Star rating under the previous Euro NCAP testing regime in 2007 – the first Korean brand vehicle to achieve this top safety rating. Starting in January 2009, Euro NCAP revised its testing strategy to encompass four main zones of interest – Adult Occupant Protection, Child Protection, Pedestrian Protection and Safety Assist – which contribute 50%, 20%, 20% and 10% to a single overall rating, expressed as a star rating. Ratings achieved under the old regime are not comparable with those achieved under the new scheme.

Kia Motors Europe

Kia Motors Europe is the European sales, marketing, and service arm of Kia Motors Corporation. With its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, it covers 32 markets in Europe.

About Kia Motors Corporation

Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) – a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart – was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world’s premier automotive brands. More than 1.4 million vehicles a year are produced at 13 manufacturing and assembly operations in nine countries. These vehicles are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 172 countries.
Kia today has more than 40,000 employees and annual revenues of almost US$17 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open.
Kia is also an official automotive partner of FIFA – the governing body of the FIFA World Cup – as well as a EUROTOP partner of UEFA.
Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan – ‘The Power to Surprise’ – represents the company’s global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.

Press Contact

Kia Motors Europe GmbH
Ilona Tzudnowski
PR Manager Europe
Tel.: +49 69 850 928 357
E-mail: i.tzudnowski@kia-europe.com

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