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Eastside Kia
Posted on March 17, 2020
Kia has been one of the Canadian motor industry's biggest success stories over the last few years, thanks to their cars' attractive combination of value, performance, comfort, and safety. The brand's excellence in this last aspect has recently been confirmed by the award of six top-level safety ratings across its 2020 range.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent rater of new vehicles' safety, carrying out a series of impartial examinations covering crash tests, front-crash prevention, headlight safety, and much more.
Six of Kia's 2020 model range have achieved exemplary scores in this year's round, leading Elias El-Achhab of Kia Canada to comment "Kia has always made safety a top priority in our vehicles and we are proud to be recognized again by the IIHS for this commitment."
To earn a coveted 'Top Safety Pick' designation from the IIHS, a vehicle needs to score the highest possible level of 'Good' across the full range of crash-tests. Collision prevention systems require separate ratings of 'Advanced' or 'Superior', while headlights must be deemed 'Acceptable' or 'Good'.
Kia has a reputation for including a lot of extras in their cars for very little money, and this ethos applies to safety features as much as in any other area. As standard, most current Kia models include:
But aside from impeccable safety, what else do you get from the six Kia cars that gained the top IIHS rating?
The Kia Telluride is an eight-seater SUV aimed at families with active lifestyles. It's packed with advanced technology including a heads-up display, adaptive handling, and the UVO Intelligence support system.
One excellent safety feature of the Telluride is the Safe Exit Assist, which prevents passengers from exiting the vehicle into the path of unseen traffic.
The powertrain provides up to 291 horsepower, channelled to the all-wheel-drive through an eight-speed automatic transmission with seven selectable drive modes, delivering impressive power and handling over all types of terrains and conditions.
The Kia Sorento is a family-friendly crossover SUV which combines strong safety, high performance, comfort, and a robust off-road character. The 360-degree camera monitoring system helps with safe back-ups and parking, while the front and rear collision mitigation systems warn of approaching vehicles and can take automatic emergency action if necessary.
Seating up to seven people, the Sorento has ample space for adults in the first two rows, with comfortable room for kids in the third row.
With powertrain configurations delivering up to 290 horsepower through an eight-speed automatic transmission to all-wheel drive, the Sorento is perfectly at home under tough conditions, whether you're adventuring off-road or driving in challenging weather.
With its compact but imposing design, the Kia Sportage is aimed directly at those with an active lifestyle. The powertrain options generate up to 237 horsepower, which when channelled through the intelligent all-wheel drive system provides torque on tap to handle all kinds of conditions with ease.
But this power doesn't mean the Sportage is only suited to off-road exploits. The Kia Drive Mode Select system makes it easy to switch handling and performance tuning between eco-friendly fuel efficiency or aggressive performance at the touch of a button.
And lastly, the Sportage features all the safety features you expect from Kia, including electronic stability control, hill assist control, downhill brake control, and more.
The Kia Soul is a compact crossover that's small in size but big in personality. Packed with futuristic features, it's a car that combines fun and excitement with daily convenience and efficiency.
Standard safety systems include rear cross traffic avoidance assistance, smart cruise control, blind spot detection, and advanced forward collision avoidance and mitigation.
All standard Soul models boast surprisingly powerful performance figures for their size, thanks to the 147 horsepower generated by the 2.0L engine and the intelligent variable transmission. However, for a real compact thrill, trade up to the GT-Line model which pushes out an exciting 201hp.
The Stinger offers a distinct change of pace from Kia's more usual family-oriented SUVs and hatchbacks. As a fastback sports sedan, it's the highest-performance vehicle the company has ever produced, pushing out a scintillating 365 horsepower from its 3.3L twin-turbo engine. For Canadian drivers, the power is passed through an eight-speed automatic transmission to all-wheel drive only.
But the emphasis on luxury and performance doesn't mean the Stinger is lacking in safety features. As well as all the standard Kia systems, the Stinger features the pedestrian-sensing forward collision avoidance system which was rated 'Superior' in the IIHS tests.
If you're looking for a high-performance sedan that looks and feels like a premium European car, but costs much less than the likes of the Audi A5, then the Stinger is well worth a look.
Last in this series of six safety-conscious Kia models is the Forte, a compact fastback sedan. Although the specifications don't approach the heights of the Stinger, this is still an exciting car to drive while taking a more family-friendly, fuel-efficient approach.
The 2.0L engine provides 147 horsepower, passed through a sound-proofed continuously variable transmission to front-wheel drive. The powertrain is equipped with technologies taken from hybrid vehicle development to drive fuel consumption down, resulting in impressive figures of 5.9L / 100km on the highway and 8.6L /100km in the city.
Important Note:- The specific Kia trims which received the IIHS ratings are all equipped with front crash prevention systems and qualifying headlights. Check with your dealership before deciding on a particular model and trim.
Kia Canada has enjoyed a remarkable success story over the last two decades, recently celebrating its one-millionth sale in the country. And with this latest recognition of Kia vehicles' safety standards, it seems the company's rise isn't about to slow down.
Categories: New Inventory, News, Vehicle Reviews
Tags: Kia Vehicles, IIHS Top Safety Pick Rating