The latest test results place the new Kia Soul among safest B Segment cars in Europe.
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Here at Summit Place Kia we realize that the NHTSA here in the U.S. has yet to finish crash testing the new Kia Soul. And although preliminary results seem to indicate that the Soul will receive a 5 star rating in the frontal crash test results, the findings are still preliminary.
But in the mean time, we want you to know that, in Europe, testing on the new Soul has been completed with some impressive results. Here is the press release from Korea outlining those findings:
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(SEOUL) May 27, 2009 – The all-new Kia Soul urban crossover has been awarded a 5-Star safety rating (the maximum score) in the latest Euro NCAP crash test results published today (Wednesday). The Soul’s safety ratings* – with scores of 87% for Adult Occupant Protection, 86% for Child Protection and 86% for Safety Assist equipment – place the Kia among the safest B-Segment sized family cars.
“The latest Euro NCAP result is a major landmark achievement for Kia. This is a superb follow-up to the 5-Star Euro NCAP rating achieved by the Kia cee’d in 2007**. Soul was designed and engineered to meet or surpass the expectations of European, North American and global consumers in every respect – including safety,” commented Mr. Panu Vainamo, General Manager Marketing, Kia Motors Europe.
“Kia’s safety engineers developed the new Soul to provide the highest levels of occupant protection in real-world accident scenarios. Our engineers predicted that Soul would achieve a 5-Star rating in the Euro NCAP. This Euro NCAP result confirms the major advances made by Kia with its latest family car,” added Mr. Vainamo.
“The combination of this new model’s many talents, plus the 5-Star safety rating and the unique Kia 5-Year warranty (in Europe), will make the Soul even more attractive to consumers, offering real peace-of-mind and low ownership costs,” he concluded.
During the development of Soul, Kia engineers initially concentrated on ensuring that the car had high levels of ‘active safety’ with good visibility, responsive and agile handling, and powerful braking, to enable Kia drivers to avoid accidents and other everyday motoring hazards.
Every Soul model supplied in Western Europe features an Electronic Stability Programme as standard. Fully automatic, ESP is increasingly a ‘proven technology’ in accident avoidance, countering excess oversteer and understeer so the car follows the course intended by the driver. Soul buyers in other European markets can specify ESP as a factory-fitted option. This system comes together with TCS (all-speed Traction Control System) and BAS (emergency Brake Assistance System).
If a collision is unavoidable, new Kia Soul is engineered to safeguard the occupants with a range of ‘passive safety’ measures as standard – starting with a robust all-steel bodyshell. State-of-the-art computer-aided design was employed by Kia engineers, together with ‘closed loop’ engineering techniques, to create the Soul five-door bodyshell structure. Featuring high-tensile strength steel in key areas, the bodyshell is designed to offer occupants good protection in front, side, rear and roll-over accidents.
Every Soul sold in Europe is equipped as standard with dual front airbags, front side and full-length curtain airbags (to protect the occupants in both seat rows), height-adjustable front seatbelts with pretensioners and belt load-limiters, plus three 3-point seat belts for rear seat occupants. In addition, all Soul models can be ordered with optional ‘active’ front seat head restraints.
*2009 Kia Soul
The full Euro NCAP test results for Kia Soul are:
Adult Occupant Protection 87% (31.2 points of max possible 36)
Child Protection 86% (42 points of max possible 49)
Pedestrian Protection 39% (13.9 points of max possible 36)
Safety Assist 86% (6 points of max possible 7)
**Euro NCAP
The Kia cee’d earned a 5-Star rating under the previous Euro NCAP testing regime in 2007 – the first Korean brand vehicle to achieve this top safety rating. Starting in January 2009, Euro NCAP revised its testing strategy to encompass four main zones of interest – Adult Occupant Protection, Child Protection, Pedestrian Protection and Safety Assist – which contribute 50%, 20%, 20% and 10% to a single overall rating, expressed as a star rating. Ratings achieved under the old regime are not comparable with those achieved under the new scheme.
About Kia Motors Europe
Kia Motors Europe is the European sales, marketing, and service arm of Kia Motors Corporation. With its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, it covers 32 markets in Europe.
For the safest vehicles on the planet, come on down to Summit Place Kia!
To find out why we’re so excited about the new Soul, you really need to come in and take one for a test drive. To schedule an appointment, or for more information on the rest of the entire line-up of high quality, affordable Kias, you can contact us at our Waterford store by calling 248-682-6002 or by dialing 734-397-9900 for our Canton store. You can also check us out on the web at www.summitplacekia.com. If you just want to stop in for a visit, our two dealerships located at 2200 Elizabeth Lake Road in Waterford, just behind the Summit Place Mall and in Canton at 41840 Michigan Avenue, just west of I-275. Once you’re there, you’ll see why everyone at metro Detroit’s sales leader would “Love to see ‘ya” in a Summit Place Kia!
