2009 Kia Borrego scores 5 stars in NHTSA crash test

Posted Fri Sep 5 2008 4:32 PM by Nelson Ireson

The Hyundai-Kia automotive conglomerate is on a roll of late with its stong crash test scores. Just over a week ago the 2009 Hyundai Genesis scored a perfect five-star rating, and now the Kia Borrego SUV has scored the same, which should help the big vehicle with its recently-announced North American launch.

Criticized by some as a late entry into the mid-size SUV segment with its 4.6L V8 and 15/22mpg EPA rating in 2WD guise, the Borrego nonetheless outshines the existing competition on almost all fronts, including price and warranty coverage. The 10-year, 100,000mi coverage has made Kia famous, and it's worked well to breed confidence in the company's offerings. Adding a five-star safety rating for all seating positions in both side and frontal crash testing to the mix will only increase interest.

The rating is enabled in part by the high level of standard safety equipment fitted to the Borrego, including ront advanced airbags, front seat mounted side airbags, full-length side-curtain airbags for all three rows and driver’s knee airbag (V8 models only), plus four-wheel disc brakes with an antilock brake system including stability control and traction control.

Most impressively, the Borrego is far from the first of Kia's vehicles to achieve the coveted five-star rating. "Borrego joins four other Kia models - Optima, Sportage, Sorento and Sedona -- in garnering a five-star crash safety rating, and further positions Kia as a serious up-and-coming contender in today's competitive and economically challenging automotive market," said Byung Mo Ahn, CEO of Kia Motors America.

For more about the Kia Borrego, read our original coverage here.

Reader Comments

Fri Sep 5 2008 5:18 PM
Cat says

Whooo!!

Land-Rover KNOCK-OFF!!!
Fri Sep 5 2008 8:50 PM
NoNameDenton says

Now all it needs is a diesel and people on automotive sites need to stop comparing vehicles to each other in looks, it is getting old.
Sat Sep 6 2008 12:29 AM
mark says

looks nothing like a land rover knock off you moron.
Sat Sep 6 2008 3:26 AM
andy says

how in the hell does it look like a landrover...
Sat Sep 6 2008 3:48 PM
Guber says

No no no, are u blind? It's a BMW X6 "knockoff".......
Sun Sep 7 2008 7:20 PM
Don says

Whoo hoo! Five stars!!!

But who cares, really? I'm 37 and I know any car built today is safer than what I've driven in the past, so this means nothing to me.

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