The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced their "Top Safety Picks" for 2008 recently. Only 34 cars received the prestigious title and once again, the Kia Sedona was one of the bunch. The Sedona, which already earned the same award for 2007 and a 5-star rating by NHTSA, excelled the frontal, side, and rear impact tests. The Sedona is also equipped with a standard electronic stability control, a requirement for the award.The Sedona offers an impressive array of safety features such as six standard airbags, electronic stability control, ABS with electronic brake force distribution, traction control system with brake assist,and a tire pressure monitoring system. The Sedona, along with its mechanical twin Hyundai Entourage, are the only minivans on the market that have received the award. The above image is of the new-for-2008 Kia Sedona SWB (short-wheelbase).
[Source: Kia Motor of America/IIHS]
Continue reading to view the official press release.
PRESS RELEASE: 2008 KIA SEDONA AWARDED "TOP SAFETY PICK" BY INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY
Kia Minivan Wins Top Honors for Third Year in a Row
IRVINE, Calif., November 15, 2007 – Already having earned a five-star crash safety rating from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 2008 Sedona was selected by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as one of only 34 vehicles to earn the "Top Safety Pick" award for its impressive performance with top ratings in frontal, side and rear impact crash tests and for having electronic stability control.
"We are extremely proud that Sedona was the first minivan ever to earn the IIHS 'Top Safety Pick,'" said Len Hunt, president and CEO of Kia Motors America. "To continue to earn this honor - now its third year 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 and front and side impact crash tests for Amanti.
The 2008 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). Models tested with standard air bags (SABs)
Kia Motors America – the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation in Seoul, South Korea – offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 630 dealers throughout the United States. For more information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.
