Kia have more vehicles with Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick Plus awards than any other car brand!
Over the years, the South Korean automakers have developed a reputation for making cars that are high on quality and higher still on safety.
Their efforts in the latter are now clear for all to see, as Kia had the most Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick Plus ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in 2020.
All told, 11 Kia vehicles made the grade, more than any other automobile brand in the US.
The latest vehicle added to the list was the new 2020 Kia Telluride SUV, with that one receiving “Good” ratings on all the IIHS crash tests, as well as an “Acceptable” rating for headlights.
How Kia vehicles earn a Top Safety Pick Award (Plus)?
In order to become a 2020 Top Safety Pick, Kia vehicles must be rated “Good” in several crash tests that includes driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests.
They must also have a “Good” or “Acceptable” rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test. In addition, an “Advanced” or “Superior” rating is required in front crash prevention, as well as a “Good” or “Acceptable” headlight rating.
Things are even stricter when it comes to the Top Safety Pick+ rating, with “Good” ratings required in the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests.
Front crash prevention needs to earn an “Advanced” or “Superior” rating, while the headlight rating needs to be “Good.”
The Kia vehicles with the Top Safety Pick Plus award
All told, 7 different Kia models took home the Top Safety Pick Plus award when equipped with specific headlights and an optional front crash prevention system.
Those models were as follows:
- 2020 Kia Forte
- 2020 Kia Niro hybrid
- 2020 Kia Niro plug-in hybrid
- 2020 Kia Optima
- 2020 Kia Stinger
- 2020 Kia Sorento
- 2020 Kia Soul
The Kia models with the Top Safety Pick award
The models that landed the Top Safety Pick award included the 2020 Kia Rio 4-door sedan, 2020 Kia Rio 5-door hatchback, and 2019 Kia Cadenza. The 2020 Kia Telluride got the ward when equipped with specific headlights and the option front crash prevention addition.
Top safety ratings are tougher to get
Kia doing so well with the IIHS awards is all the more impressive when you consider that getting there was a whole lot tougher last year.
This is the year where the IIHS implemented new testing standards, most notably in achieving a Top Safety Pick Plus award. Last year, an “Acceptable” rating was required in the small overlap test, but this year, vehicles had to get a “Good” rating to be considered for the award.
Besides that, “Good” ratings are also now required in each of the other crash tests, as well as in the headlight testing. An “Advanced” or “Superior” rating is required in front crash prevention.
