The 2021-2023 Kia Sorento achieve the maximum 5 stars in Euro NCAP crash test and safety test.
Adult Occupant_
The passenger compartment remained stable in the offset frontal test. Protection of the driver's chest was rated as weak, based on dummy measurements of compression. Dummy measurements showed weak protection of the driver’s right femur. Although other readings were good, protection was rated as marginal because of structures in the dashboard which could cause a risk to occupants of different sizes or those sitting in different positions. Analysis of the barrier into which the Sorento crashed showed some localised areas of high deformation and a modest penalty was applied to the score for the risk this represented to the opposing vehicle. In the full-width, rigid wall test, protection was good or adequate for all critical body regions for both the driver and the rear seat passenger. In the side barrier test, representing a collision by another vehicle, protection was good for all critical body areas. Similarly, in the more severe side pole impact, protection was at least adequate. In an assessment of protection in far-side impact, dummy excursion (its movement towards the other side of the vehicle) was rated as adequate. The Sorento is equipped with a centre airbag to protect against occupant-to-occupant interaction in side impacts. This system worked well in Euro NCAP's test, with good protection of the head for both front seat occupants. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injury in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection. The Sorento is equipped as standard with a multicollision braking system, which applies the brakes immediately after an impact to prevent the vehicle from being involved in secondary impacts. The car also has an advanced e-Call system which, in the event of an accident, automatically sends a message to the emergency services, giving the car's location.
Child Occupant_
In the frontal offset test, protection of both child dummies was good except for the neck of the 10-year dummy, protection of which was marginal. In the side barrier test, protection of all critical body regions was good and the Sorento scored maximum points for this part of the assessment. The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded. All of the restraints for which the Sorento is designed could be properly installed and accommodated.
Vulnerable Road Users_
The bonnet provided predominantly good or adequate protection to the head of a struck pedestrian, with some poor results on the stiff windscreen pillars. The bumper provided good or adequate protection to pedestrians' legs but protection of the pelvis was predominantly poor. The Sorento’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system can detect vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, as well as other vehicles. In tests, the system's response to pedestrians was adequate, with collisions avoided or mitigated in most cases, and to cyclists was good. The system does not detect pedestrians to the rear of the car, and reversing tests were not performed.
Safety Assist_
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is fitted as standard. The system performed well in tests of its detection and reaction to other vehicles, with impacts being avoided or mitigated in most cases. As well as a seatbelt reminder for front and rear seats, the Sorento has a driver monitoring system which uses steering inputs to identify whether the driver is alert and focussed on the driving task or is impaired through fatigue or other factors. The system warns the driver if impaired driving is detected. The lane support system gently corrects the steering of the car if it is drifting out of lane and also intervenes much more aggressively in some critical situations. The Sorento has, as standard, a camera-based traffic sign recognition system which identifies the local speed limit, allowing the limiter to be set appropriately.