Kia Sportage
1998-2002 modelsMODERATE OVERLAP FRONT TEST
OVERALL EVALUATION:
| Structure/safety cage | Injury measures | Restraints/dummy kinematics | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head/neck | Chest | Leg/foot, left | Leg/foot, right | ||
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Important: Frontal crash test ratings can be compared only among vehicles of similar weight.
Good
Acceptable
Marginal
Poor
Test details:
The Kia Sportage was introduced in the 1995 model year. Frontal airbags for both the driver and passenger became standard beginning with the 1998 model year.
Restraints/dummy kinematics — Dummy movement wasn't well controlled. Special stitching on the lap belt, designed to limit belt forces by tearing and lengthening the belt, allowed too much dummy movement. During rebound from the airbag, the dummy moved toward the driver door. Its head went through the open window and nearly hit the window frame. There also was too much upward movement of the steering wheel. Later in the crash, the dummy's head again moved toward the door and hit the B-pillar. This was the first vehicle to be equipped with an airbag in the knee area, but it isn't clear whether the new airbag improved performance in this crash test.
Injury measures — Measures taken from the head, neck, and chest indicate low risk of injuries to these body regions in a crash of this severity. Forces on the left tibia and left foot indicate that injuries to the lower leg and foot would be possible. Head acceleration from the B-pillar hit was low
Left to right:
- Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.
- Buckling in the roof area indicates that the driver space was compromised.
- The left front tire intruded into the driver footwell area, producing moderately high forces on the tibia and contributing to the possibility of lower leg and foot injuries.
- Special lap belt stitching tore, allowing the belt to lengthen and the dummy to move too much.
Additional features:
- Driver knee airbag: a separate airbag in the lower instrument panel intended to minimize knee injuries in frontal crashes
- Antilock brakes (optional)
Tested vehicle specifications:
- 1998 Kia Sportage 4wd
- Class: Small SUV
- Weight: 3,338 lbs.
- Side airbags: none
- Wheelbase: 104 in.
- Length: 170 in.
- Width: 68 in.
- Engine: 2.0 L 4-cylinder
- EPA ratings: 19 mpg city | 23 mpg highway
