Khaberni - The 2026 models of Kia K4 and Kia EV9 (the three-row electric SUV) have received the highest safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), earning the "Top Safety Pick Plus" (TSP+) award for 2026.
With this new honor, the number of Kia models awarded the TSP+ rating for 2026 has risen to four, joining both the 2026 Kia Sorento (models manufactured after September 2025) and the 2026 Kia Sportage (models manufactured after May 2025). This rating is limited to models designated for the American market only.
• The models winning the TSP+ award for 2026:
o EV9 model 2026
o K4 model 2026
o Sorento model 2026 (models manufactured after September 2025)
o Sportage model 2026 (models manufactured after May 2025)
In this context, Sean Yoon, President and General Manager of Kia North America and Kia America, said: "Safety is not just a basic feature, but a central focus in the design of our vehicles. The expanding scope of our models receiving IIHS ratings reflects our focus on enhancing protection levels, amidst continuous advancements in the safety standards adopted by the institute."
In 2026, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety further tightened safety test standards, focusing on enhancing passenger protection in the back seats and improving the performance of crash avoidance systems. The updated criteria include stricter requirements for rear passenger safety in moderate overlap frontal crash tests, along with improved performance standards for vehicle-to-pedestrian crash prevention systems and inter-vehicle collision avoidance systems at higher speeds.
The starting price of the Kia K4 is $22,290, where the vehicle combines advanced safety features and competitive value, making it an attractive entry point into the Kia model lineup. The standard advanced driver assistance systems include Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) designed to help detect and prevent collisions in certain conditions, capable of detecting vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists in front of the car while driving (FCA-CPC), in addition to monitoring vehicles coming from the opposite direction during left turns at intersections (FCA-JT).
As for the EV9, the three-row electric multipurpose vehicle that has won several awards, continues to offer a wide range of modern equipment and advanced driver assistance systems, including the standard Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA-2), which helps maintain a preset distance from the vehicles ahead, and also keeps the vehicle centered in the lane on some highways.
