2023 Kia Sportage and Sportage Hybrid Earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards
Photo: Kia
The redesigned Kia Sportage and the all-new Kia Sportage Hybrid have been quite successful this year. In fact, the Sportage saw a nearly 60% year-over-year sales increase in August — helping contribute to Kia’s best-ever sales in that month. The latest achievement for these models comes from the IIHS, which awarded both with a Top Safety Pick (TSP) designation.
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“Kia’s longest running nameplate continues to evolve into something greater with each generation, with the fifth generation delivering more of everything – especially safety – for today’s savvy, adventurous, and eco-conscious compact SUV buyers,” said Steven Center, COO and EVP at Kia America. “These latest TSP designations are proof positive of that.”
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is one of two highly regarded safety rankings organizations, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Each year, the IIHS evaluates vehicles from all brands. These evaluations include testing a model’s crashworthiness, crash prevention technology, and headlights.
To earn the Top Safety Pick rating, a vehicle must earn “Good” rankings in all of the organization’s six crashworthiness tests and an “Advanced” or “Superior” for vehicle-to-pedestrian and vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention. A model must also have at least one available headlight system that earns a “Good” or “Acceptable” rating.
The 2023 Sportage and 2023 Sportage Hybrid are equipped with a long list of standard driver-assist safety features, including crash prevention systems like Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (with Car, Pedestrian, and Cyclist Detection), Lane Keeping Assist, Driver Attention Warning with Leading Vehicle Departure Alert, and Park Distance Warning-Rear. They also both have LED headlights, Auto Headlight Control, and High Beam Assist as standard features.
If you’re considering an adventurous yet safe SUV that is also somewhat affordable, you might want to look to the 2023 Kia Sportage or the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid for a more efficient option.
Ben never thought he’d be writing about cars for a living, but here he is, knowing more about the Kia Stinger than he’d care to admit. When he’s not devoting his time to researching engine specs and other oh-so-exciting car details, he can be found enjoying time with his wife and dogs. See more articles by Ben.