Kia Sorento earns five-star crash safety rating from U.S. government

NEWS

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

CONTACT: Michael Choo (mjc@kia.co.kr  ),
International Communications Manager, Kia Motors Corporation, Tel: +82-2-
3464-5663

 

Kia Sorento earns five-star crash safety rating from U.S. government

 

- Five-star crash safety rating for midsize Kia SUV in frontal and side
impact crash tests

 

(SEOUL) December 20, 2006 --  The 2007 Kia Sorento earned a five-star crash
safety rating, the highest rating possible, for all seating positions in
the latest frontal and side impact crash tests conducted by the U.S.
Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA).  This marks the first five-star frontal rating for
the Sorento, and its fifth consecutive five-star rating for side impact. 

 

“The Sorento is in excellent company, joining Sportage, Sedona and Optima
with five-star crash safety ratings from NHTSA,” said Len Hunt, executive
vice president and COO of Kia Motors America.  “Kia has come a long way in
a very short time, and our goal of building high quality, safe vehicles is
being realized as we refine and expand the product lineup.”

 

The award-winning, five-passenger Sorento combines power, utility and style
with a new standard for value in its segment.  For 2007, the versatile
vehicle is loaded with many comfort and convenience features, more standard
safety features such as advanced two-stage airbags, full-length side
curtain airbags and active front headrests, driver knee airbag, and
electronic stability control (ESC), providing capable on- and off-road
performance.

 

Available in LX and EX trim lines, as well as LX Sport Package and EX
Luxury Package, and two-wheel or four-wheel drive, Sorento builds on the
previous generation model with exterior refinements, including redesigned
front headlamps with projection lights, a revised front grille insert and
more rounded body-side cladding.  The interior has more leg room in the
second-row seats, a new center fascia gauge cluster and floor console
enveloped in upscale wood and metal trim materials.  A new, all-aluminum, 3.
8-liter V6 engine producing 262 horsepower - a 36-percent increase over the
previous generation engine - and 260 lb.-ft of torque is mated to an
electronically controlled five-speed Sportmatic㈢ transmission, allowing
drivers to choose between automatic or manual shift mode.

 

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

 

Editor’s note: Specifications and standard equipment may vary depending on
country/region.

 

 

Kia Motors Corporation (
<http://autoway.kia.co.kr/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.kiamotors.com
/> www.kiamotors.com or www.kia.com <http://www.kia.com/> ) -- one of the
fastest growing automakers in the world -- was founded in 1944 and is
Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia
Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world’s premier automotive
brands. Kia’s 14 manufacturing and assembly operations in 9 countries
produce more than 1.3 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced
through a network of distributors and dealers covering 160 countries. Kia
today has over 32,500 employees and annual revenues of almost $16 billion.
It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official
worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be an
official automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body of the FIFA World
Cup. Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan -- “The Power to Surprise” --
represents the company’s global commitment to surpassing customer
expectations through continuous automotive innovation.

 

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