The 2026 Kia Sorento has achieved the highest possible safety recognition from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), earning the prestigious 2025 TOP SAFETY PICK+ (TSP+) award.
The accolade applies to Sorento models produced after September 2025 and highlights Kia’s continued commitment to advancing vehicle safety amid increasingly strict testing standards.
With this latest recognition, Kia now has five vehicles that have secured a 2025 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating, underscoring the brand’s strong overall performance in crash protection and accident prevention technologies.
The Kia models awarded the 2025 TSP+ designation include the 2026 Sorento, 2026 Sportage, 2025 K4, 2025 EV9, and 2025 Telluride, all of which met the IIHS’s most demanding safety benchmarks.
Kia’s leadership views this achievement as a reflection of the company’s safety-first approach.
According to SeungKyu (Sean) Yoon, President and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America, the results demonstrate Kia’s ability to deliver vehicles that successfully balance performance, innovation, and occupant protection.
He emphasized that earning top safety honors under tougher evaluation criteria shows Kia’s dedication to offering advanced safety features that customers increasingly prioritize.
To qualify for the 2025 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, vehicles must achieve “Good” ratings in several critical crash tests.
These include the small overlap front test, updated moderate overlap front test, and the updated side impact test.
In addition, vehicles must earn an acceptable or good score for pedestrian front crash prevention and be equipped with acceptable- or good-rated headlights as standard across all trims.
The 2026 Kia Sorento performed strongly across these categories, receiving “Good” ratings for its standard front crash prevention systems in both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian scenarios.
The SUV comes equipped with Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) as standard, a system designed to help detect pedestrians, cyclists, and oncoming vehicles during left turns at intersections, assisting drivers in avoiding potential collisions under certain conditions.
Beyond safety, the 2026 Sorento continues to appeal with its bold styling and versatile lineup. Available in petrol, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants, the midsize SUV offers an upscale interior and multiple configurations to suit different driving needs.
The rugged X-Pro variants add an off-road-inspired edge, while all-wheel-drive models now benefit from a newly introduced Terrain Mode for 2026, enhancing capability across varying road conditions.
With its latest IIHS recognition, the 2026 Kia Sorento further strengthens its position as a well-rounded SUV that combines modern design, advanced technology, and top-tier safety credentials.