2007 Kia Sedona Meets Strictest Ever
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Standards and
Wins “Top Safety Pick” for Second Year in a Row

IRVINE, Calif., November 22, 2006 – Already having earned a five-star crash safety rating from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as well as being a recipient of Consumer Digest’s Best Buy Award, the new 2007 Sedona was selected by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as one of only 13 vehicles to earn the “Top Safety Pick” award for its impressive performance with top ratings in frontal, side and rear impact crash tests.

“We continue to be extremely proud of the recognition that Kia receives for its commitment to safety,” said Len Hunt, executive vice president and COO of Kia Motors America.  “Being the first minivan ever to earn the IIHS ‘Top Safety Pick’ – and to do it two years in a row – is yet another example of our dedication to providing quality vehicles equipped with the highest level of standard safety features available.”

The Sedona builds upon a commitment to safety that was established with the first generation minivan, which earned the company’s first five-star crash rating when it debuted in 2002.  Since then Kia has earned an impressive list of safety accolades, including NHTSA five-star crash ratings all around for Optima and Sedona and five-star side impact crash ratings for Sorento, as well as the highest possible safety ratings from IIHS for Sedona and top ratings for front and rear impact crash tests for Optima. 

A new requirement for 2007 is that the winning vehicles must offer electronic stability control (ESC).  This addition is based on IIHS research indicating that ESC “significantly reduces crash risk, especially the risk of fatal single-vehicle crashes, by helping drivers maintain control of their vehicles during emergency maneuvers.”

“The idea of tightening the criteria for the award is to encourage more vehicle safety improvements,” says IIHS president Adrian Lund.  “Last year a car could win with an ‘acceptable’ rating in the rear test instead of the highest rating of ‘good’, and ESC wasn’t considered.  Now it’s tougher to win, and some of the 2006 winners don’t meet the criteria for this year’s award because the manufacturers haven’t improved the head restraints from ‘acceptable’ to ‘good’ or don’t offer ESC.”

The 2007 Sedona continues to offer a high level of standard safety equipment, including six standard airbags, front active headrests, electronic stability control (ESC), ABS with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), a traction control system (TCS) with brake assist, and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov).

Kia Motors America – the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corp. in Seoul South Korea – offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 630 dealers throughout the United States.