2012 Kia Sorento

midsize SUV / 4-door SUV

2012 Kia Sorento 4-door SUV
2011 Kia Sorento shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2011-13 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Kia Sorento EX 4-door 4wd

The Kia Sorento was redesigned for the 2011 model year (there was no 2010 model). Frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Hyundai/Kia as part of frontal crash test verification.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTF1002
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 8
Left (cm) 12
Center (cm) 12
Right (cm) 8
Brake pedal (cm) 11
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 1
Right (cm) 1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 1
Rearward (cm) -3
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 1

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTF1002
Head
HIC-15 203
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.4
Extension bending moment (Nm) 17
Maximum Nij 0.23
Chest maximum compression (mm) 27
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.9
Femur force - right (kN) 1.5
Knee displacement - left (mm) 1
Knee displacement - right (mm) 1
Maximum tibia index - left 0.39
Maximum tibia index - right 0.46
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.7
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 1.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 76
Right 135

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2011-13 models built after March 2010

Tested vehicle: 2011 Kia Sorento EX 4-door 4wd with standard front and second row head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Kia Sorento was redesigned for the 2011 model year (there was no 2010 model). Beginning with 2011 models built after March 2010, design changes were made to the front door trim to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes (note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door).

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side curtain airbag.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES1006
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -8.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES1006
Head HIC-15 186
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2
Compression (kN) 0.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 23
Lateral force (kN) 1.6
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 25
Average deflection (mm) 24
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.54
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.38
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 3.5
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.3
Combined force (kN) 4.2
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 59
A-P moment (Nm) 30

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES1006
Head HIC-15 120
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.4
Compression (kN) 0.4
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 30
Lateral force (kN) 1.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 27
Average deflection (mm) 24
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.26
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.55
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.0
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.3
Combined force (kN) 4.1
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.5
L-M moment (Nm) 63
A-P moment (Nm) 26

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2011-15 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Kia Sorento EX 4-door 4wd

Re-engineering of the vehicle for 2014-15 did not affect roof strength. Therefore, rating applies to the 2011-15 models.

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 4,048 lbs
Peak force 17,455 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 4.31

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seat (AHR)

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual cloth seat (AHR)
Geometry
Backset (mm) 51
Distance below top of head (mm) -8
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 9.6
Head contact time (ms) 66
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 53
Max neck tension (N) 488

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.