Sorento

Make
Kia
Segment
SUV

The all-new Kia Sorento finally bowed recently, looking every bit as impressive as we'd hoped. But Kia's latest midsize SUV - slotting in beneath the top-selling Telluride - has to do more than just look good. In the go-to segment for family shoppers, it has to be safe, too, which is why Kia is equipping it with a new Multi-Collision Braking (MCB) system. We first heard of this before the car was supposed to make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, but Kia has now confirmed its inclusion as the first Kia to offer it.

The system itself isn't exactly new to the automotive world, as several premium manufacturers have previously equipped this type of safety equipment. It mitigates further collisions after a primary impact by applying the brakes to all four wheels once an initial impact is detected - using airbag deployment as the primary means of detection. Using the brakes at each corner individually, as well as numerous directorial sensors, the MCB system can control the vehicle's direction of travel and bring it safely to a halt with minimal collateral damage.

It goes deeper than just applying the brakes, however, as it also tracks driver responses and pedal inputs, varying its levels of input based on whether or not the driver is attempting to control the vehicle themselves. There's a caveat though: at speeds of greater than 112 mph, the system is inactive. Simply put, don't speed.

The fourth-generation Sorento is set to arrive in the US before the end of 2020, with safety bolstered by other features including forward collision avoidance with pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle detection, and a clever blind-spot camera. The MCB system will be standard across all trims, making the Sorento one of the safest SUVs around. Cars equipped with similar tech notoriously score higher in European crash tests, and we suspect the IIHS will look favorably upon its inclusion.