The all-electric Kia EV6 crossover has been awarded the highest safety rating following extensive testing by Euro NCAP, Europe’s leading independent safety testing organisation. The EV6 achieved the maximum five-star rating, further demonstrating the vehicle’s impressive safety credentials.
The EV6 achieved 90% for adult occupant protection, 86% for child occupant protection, 64% for vulnerable road users including pedestrians, and 87% in the ‘safety assist’ category, which rates a vehicle based on the availability of a comprehensive suite of crash avoidance technologies.
Euro NCAP praised the EV6’s passenger compartment for remaining stable in the frontal impact test and providing good protection of the knees and femur of all occupants. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. In the side barrier test and the more severe pole impact test, the EV6 scored maximum points, providing strong protection of all critical body areas of driver and passengers. The EV6 also scored well in the child occupant tests, with the vehicle protecting all critical body areas of dummies representing six- and ten-year old passengers. When testing the EV6’s safety assist technologies, Euro NCAP highlighted the performance of the vehicle’s Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system, which responded well to other vehicles and avoided impacts in most test scenarios.
Other safety features highlighted by EuroNCAP were the EV6’s Multi-Collision Braking (MCB) system that automatically applies the brakes after an impact to avoid secondary collisions, and an eCall system that alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash.
The EV6’s safety rating was reinforced by the vehicle’s high-strength Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and rigid body structure. Passenger compartment safety has been enhanced through the use of ultra-high tensile steel that accounts for 63.6% of the EV6’s body structure, while extensive hot-stamping during the production process has resulted in impressive torsional rigidity of 48.5. A total of seven advanced airbags feature in the EV6, including a centre side airbag that helps to shield against a head collision between the driver and front seat passenger. All EV6 models are equipped as standard with Kia’s Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems to help drivers maintain control under braking and cornering.