Kia Leads All Brands With Eight Vehicles With Either A 2018 TSP Or TSP+ Rating

IRVINE, Calif., May 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded its best rating possible, Top Safety Pick Plus (TSP+), to the refreshed 2019 Kia Sorento, bringing to Kia the highest number of vehicles with either a 2018 Top Safety Pick (TSP) or Top Safety Pick Plus (TSP+) rating among all brands. Kia's best-selling SUV received good ratings in all six IIHS crashworthiness tests and "Good"-rated headlights when equipped with optional autonomous emergency braking and LED headlights. 

"This is a significant and fantastic achievement for Kia," said Orth Hedrick, vice president, product planning, KMA. "It's an honor to have earned strong safety ratings across so many of our vehicle lines."

Vehicles with the TSP+ rating include: 2019 Sorento¹, 2018 Forte sedan², 2018 Optima³ and 2018 Soul⁴. To qualify for TSP+, the IIHS testing parameters require a vehicle earn "Good" ratings in six crashworthiness tests – driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side impact, roof strength, and head restraint. Also required is "Good" or "Acceptable" rating in the passenger side small overlap test, an "Advanced" or "Superior" rating for front crash prevention, and a "Good" rating in headlight testing. Please see the disclaimer for each vehicle and refer to iihs.org for more information.

Vehicles with a TSP rating include 2018 Cadenza⁵, 2018 Sedona⁶, 2018 Sorento⁷ and 2018 Sportage⁸. To qualify for a TSP rating, a vehicle must earn "Good" ratings in five crashworthiness tests—driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests.  It also must earn an "Advanced" or "Superior" rating for front crash prevention, and a "Good" or "Acceptable" rating in headlight testing. Ratings are also dependent on specific "built after" date for each model. Please see the disclaimer for each vehicle and refer to iihs.org for more information.

About Kia Motors America

Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia Motors America continues to top quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands and 50 Best Global Green Brands by Interbrand.  Kia serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including cars and SUVs proudly built in West Point, Georgia.*

For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.

* The Sorento and Optima GDI (EX, SX & Limited and certain LX Trims only) are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts

¹ 2019 Sorento models when equipped optional autonomous emergency braking and LED headlights (available on SX trim with Touring package or on the SXL trim).

² 2018 Forte sedan models when equipped with optional autonomous emergency braking and high-intensity discharge (HID) Dynamic Bending Light (available on the EX trim with Premium Plus package).

³ 2018 Optima models built after January 2018 when equipped with optional autonomous emergency braking and LED headlights with High Beam Assist (available on the SX trim with Technology package or the Limited package).

⁴ 2018 Soul models when equipped with optional autonomous emergency braking and HID headlights (available on the + trim equipped with Primo Lit package).

⁵ 2018 Cadenza models when equipped with optional autonomous emergency braking and LED Bi-Function Projection headlights (available on the Technology trim or Limited trim).

⁶ 2018 Sedona models built after May 2017 when equipped with optional autonomous emergency braking and Xenon HID headlights with auto leveling and High-beam Assist (HBA) (available on the SX trim equipped with Advanced Touring package).

⁷ 2018 Sorento models built after May 2017 when equipped with optional autonomous emergency braking and HID headlights (available on the SX trim equipped with SX Advanced Technology package or on the SXL trim).

⁸ 2018 Sportage models built after June 2017 when equipped with Bi-xenon headlights with Dynamic Bending Light (DBL) (standard on the SX Turbo trim).

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SOURCE Kia Motors America