2011 Kia Optima Named Top Safety Pick by IIHS

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2010 Hyundai Genesis Receives IIHS 'Top Safety Pick'

The 2010 Hyundai Genesis Sedan has recently been tested and awarded the ‘Top Safety Pick’ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This award is earned by all vehicles who manage to achieve the institute’s top rating of “Good” for front, side, rollover and rear crash protection. A vehicle cannot achieve the ‘Top Safety Pick’ if it hasn’t got Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as standard.

The South Korean car company earned the ‘Top Safety Pick’ with the 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan as well, but this year the standards were raised even higher and a roof strength test was added to the procedures.

The new guidelines require the roof to withstand more than two times the strength of current federal requirements in order to properly maintain the vehicle’s integrity in a rollover accident. And Hyundai made the adjustments to the Genesis roof structure to improve protection.

"Genesis was designed to be one of the safest vehicles on the road and includes features such as ESC and Hyundai's first electronic active front head restraint system, which helps prevent whiplash," said Derek Joyce, manager of product planning, Hyundai Motor America.

[Source: Hyundai]

Kia Forte Earns 2010 "Top Safety Pick" by IIHS

Kia Motors has announced that its compact Forte sedan has received a "Top Safety Pick" status for 2010 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This is the third model from the Hyundai/Kia line-up to receive this prestigious title for 2010, with the other two being the Kia Soul and the all-new Hyundai Sonata.

It is important to note that this rating only applies to Forte's built after October 2009, as the automaker made revisions to the car's B-pillar and roof to qualify it for the award.

For a vehicle to qualify for the rating, it must score the top rating of Good in frontal-offset, side-impact, and rear-impact crash tests. New for 2010, a car must also score a good rating in its roof-strength test that measures occupant protection in the case of a rollover. The car must also be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC), standard equipment in the Forte.

With the new standards implemented for 2010, there are only 31 vehicles in the market that qualify for the Top Safety Pick, a low number compared to that of 2009. Other cars in the compact segment that earned the top rating are the Volkwagen Golf, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza, Scion xB, and Nissan Cube. Honda Civic's equipped with optional stablity control also earned the award.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

IIHS Names New Hyundai Sonata As Top Safety Pick

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has selected the 2011 Hyundai Sonata model as the Top Safety Pick this year. This award has been given to the vehicle after it successfully completed a list of crash testing performed by the IIHS.

For winning the Top Safety Pick award, a car must earn the highest rating of “good” in front, side, rear and rollover crash tests. In addition to the car’s ability to handle itself well in all these test categories, it should have the electronic stability control (ECS) readily available as an option. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that ESC reduces single-vehicle crashes by 35 percent and single-vehicle fatalities by 30 percent in passenger cars.

Hyundai is committed to both active and passive safety technology leadership. In addition to ECS, the Sonata has advanced airbag technology and a robust ultra-high-strength steel body structure. It provides six airbags- dual front, front seat-mounted side-impact, and front and rear side curtain airbags along with active front-seat head restraints. The Anti-lock Breaking System (ABS) incorporates the Brake Assist and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) technology.

A new roof strength test was added to the list of qualifications this year, making the selection procedure much tougher than the earlier ones. The roof strength must be double than that of the current Federal requirements, in order to guarantee safety in a rollover accident, says the new rule. Because of this new rule, many of the earlier vehicles that were awarded the Top Safety Pick in past years were discarded in 2010. While other Hyundai models like the Genesis have been named Top Safety Picks earlier, this is the first time a Sonata has received this honor.

[Source: IIHS via Hyundai Motor America]

Kia Soul Awarded 2010 "Top Safety Pick" by IIHS

The 2010 Kia Soul has been given a 2010 “Top Safety Pick” award for the second consecutive time this year in the Small Car category by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). On the heels of being given a “2010 Automotive Excellence Award” by Popular Mechanics, named to TIME.com’s “Most Exciting Cars of 2010” list and being named one of “10 Great and Safe Rides for Teens” by AutoWeek magazine, the spunky and youthful Kia five-door was one of only five small cars to earn the organization’s top honor for earning “Good” ratings – the highest achievable – in frontal, side, rear and rollover impact crash safety tests.

“Since its launch in March, Soul has lived up to its tagline of being Kia Motors’ affordable halo vehicle by winning numerous awards and consistently being a media and consumer favorite,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing of Kia Motors America (KMA). “Soul being honored with a ‘Top Safety Pick’ for a second time solidifies it as a top contender in its segment as a vehicle that offers consumers the entire package.”

All trim levels for the Soul come standard with many safety features including front seat active headrests, dual front advanced airbags, front seat-mounted and full-length side curtain airbags, an Antilock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist System (BAS) and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

[Source: Description]

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