Kia Sportage Earns a Top Safety Pick Award

kia-sportage-earns-a-top-safety-pick-award-bannerKia Makes Safety a Top Priority

The 2023 Kia Sportage received some significant updates, and after a safety evaluation by the IIHS, it came out on top. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Sportage the Top Safety Pick award. But what exactly does this mean for you? Here are some details about what a Top Safety Pick is and how the Kia Sportage earned it. Find out more about the 2023 Kia Sportage and its safety ratings at Ray Skillman Auto Center.

The Top Safety Pick Award

In order to earn the Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle needs to earn a good rating in six of the crash evaluations. These include the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, roof strength, head restraint, and moderate overlap front. Vehicles that earn a Top Safety Pick also must offer a front crash prevention system with superior ratings in the vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian tests, and it needs to have at least one headlight system with good or acceptable ratings.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Safety Features

The 2023 Kia Sportage goes above and beyond with two front crash prevention systems. One comes standard on all models, and the other is optional. No matter which system you have, it earned a superior rating in both the vehicle-to-pedestrian and vehicle-to-vehicle crash evaluations. This is a step up from the 2022 Sportage, which had an advanced-rated system, but it was only available as an option.

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The Headlight Test

The most difficult test for any automaker to meet is the headlight test. Since most fatal accidents happen after the sun goes down, the IIHS requires vehicles to earn an Acceptable rating to qualify for a Top Safety Pick. These headlights also must be standard on all trims to earn a Top Safety Pick+ Award, which is the next step up in safety. The Sportage has Acceptable headlights on the SX Prestige and X-Pro Prestige, with the lower trims earning lower grades for visibility.

So What Does the Kia Sportage Have for Safety Systems?

No matter which 2023 Kia Sportage trim you have, it comes loaded with safety features and driver aids. In addition to the forward collision warning system, automatic braking, and parking sensors that we are getting used to seeing on newer model vehicles, the Sportage also comes with a driver attention warning feature that sends the driver an alert if it senses fatigue behind the wheel.

A safe exit system for the EX trim warns if you start to open a door and an approaching car could make it unsafe to get out of the vehicle. Moving up to higher Sportage trims adds even more safety features, including a unique forward cross-path detection and braking system that will automatically put the brakes on if the Sportage is in an intersection when a collision may occur. Stop by Ray Skillman Auto Center to find out more about how the Kia Sportage earned the Top Safety Pick award, and then take one out for a test drive to check out the safety systems for yourself.