Now that the Kia EV6 range has been fitted with a better set of LED reflector headlights, the IIHS has upgraded its safety rating to the best possible Top Safety Pick+ designation. The latter is a tough achievement to earn as it requires cars to possess a strong body core to protect their occupants and a long catalog of standard safety features that may decrease any chances of a collision.

Now that it has been fitted with some new lights, the Kia EV6 range benefits from the best rating possible as it already excels in offering a comprehensive list of crash prevention features. With this, it scored top marks when being tested for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian crash tests.

With this update, the brand has gotten in touch with its current clientele to inform them that the new headlights can be fitted free of charge, but only if they are in possession of an earlier 2023 model as these require a mere adjustment. 2022 models will retain the poorly-rated headlights, but this isn't a huge train smash as these cars still offer class-leading crash evaluations.

The IIHS has been on an aggressive campaign to ensure that cars on American roads improve on their safety standards. This includes calling for all pickup trucks to be fitted with autonomous emergency braking as standard and models competing in the small car segment to improve on their side crash test performance.

The Kia EV6 appears to be a well-rounded new venture for the South Korean manufacturer that has been attracting reasonable reception from the market. For 2023, the range was restructured to be a bit more premium having dropped its base trim. It was also positioned as a successor for the Stinger to coincide with the arrival of the 576-horsepower EV6 GT.

Despite taking a strong early step into electrification, the American arm of Kia maintains success thanks to more established models such as the Sportage, Forte, and Telluride which have each sold north of 89,000 units so far in 2022. The EV6 range sits in the shadow of these figures with just under 20,000 units sold through November, but that's still significant as more Kia EVs lie ahead.