The new Kia Soul urban crossover has been given the top safety score
with the maximum 5-Star rating awards in the latest Euro NCAP crash
test results.
The Soul’s safety ratings – with scores of 87 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 86 per cent for Child Protection and 86 per cent for Safety Assist equipment – place the Kia among the safest B-Segment sized family cars.
Following on the ‘wheels’ of its cee’d sibling, which was awarded the 5-star Euro NCAP in 2007, Kia engineers ensured the Soul had high levels of ‘active safety’ with good visibility, responsive and agile handling, and powerful braking.
Every Soul supplied in the UK features an Electronic Stability Control as standard which counters excess oversteer and understeer so the car follows the course intended by the driver. This system comes with TCS (all-speed Traction Control System) and BAS (emergency Brake Assistance System).
If a collision is unavoidable, new Kia Soul is engineered to safeguard the occupants with a range of ‘passive safety’ measures as standard – starting with a robust all-steel bodyshell. Featuring high-tensile strength steel in key areas, the bodyshell is designed to offer occupants good protection in front, side, rear and roll-over accidents.
Every Soul sold in Europe is equipped as standard with dual front airbags, front side and full-length curtain airbags (to protect the occupants in both seat rows), height-adjustable front seatbelts with pretensioners and belt load-limiters, plus three 3-point seat belts for rear seat occupants. In addition, all UK models come with ‘active’ front seat head restraints as standard. And Soul comes with Kia’s 5-year warranty.
Euro NCAP
The Kia cee’d earned a 5-Star rating under the previous Euro NCAP testing regime in 2007 – the first Korean brand vehicle to achieve this top safety rating. Starting in January 2009, Euro NCAP revised its testing strategy to encompass four main zones of interest – Adult Occupant Protection, Child Protection, Pedestrian Protection and Safety Assist – which contribute 50%, 20%, 20% and 10% to a single overall rating, expressed as a star rating. Ratings achieved under the old regime are not comparable with those achieved under the new scheme.
| 2009 Kia Soul – Full Euro NCAP results |
| Adult Occupant Protection |
87 per cent |
| Child Protection |
86 per cent |
| Pedestrian Protection |
39 per cent |
| Safety Assist |
86 per cent |