Never before have motorists been in safer hands. Modern technology has advanced car safety to such a degree, that accidents that would have been fatal two decades ago, will now result in a few bumps and bruises. Active driver assistance systems such as lane-keep assist, and forward collision avoidance have transformed the way our cars keep us safe, and with every big player trying to outsell its competitor, safety levels are as important as ever in selling their products. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives a yearly safety rating of most vehicles sold in the US, and manufacturers wear them as a badge of honor. This year Kia put up a stellar performance and continues its streak of offering some of the safest cars on American roads.

A total of eight Kia vehicles were awarded with a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick + award. The Kia Telluride, Seltos, Carnival (built after March 2021 with specific headlights), Sorento, Sportage, and Soul (with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights) all received TSP awards. The Kia Stinger and K5 both managed to clinch a Top Safety Pick + award.

Kia has a long track record of building the safest cars in the US. This may come as a surprise to some, who like to imagine brands such asVolvo and Mercedes-Benz being top performers. Kia has been rated as the safest carmaker in the US before, and this year it just missed out on the top spot, finishing in second place.

To qualify for a Top Safety Pick award, vehicles are required to score "Good" ratings in six of the crash rating categories, namely passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front driver-side small overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. Vehicles also need to achieve an advanced or superior score for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention and vehicle-to-vehicle crash protection. To achieve a Top Safety Pick + rating, vehicles are required to return a good or acceptable rating for the standard headlight system. From 2023, in order to achieve TSP+ status, cars will need to achieve solid scores in a new night-time pedestrian avoidance test.

"As the Kia brand makes a momentous shift toward electrification with our next generation of vehicles, passenger safety remains a top priority. These eight Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick Plus accolades from IIHS are the direct results of our commitment to delivering the highest standards for crash readiness, structural integrity and available safety systems for our customers," said Sean Yoon, CEO of Kia America.