Five stars for new Kia

The new Kia Niro has achieved a 5 star Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) rating, which is great for New Zealand as the small SUV is launching in the Kiwi market in the new year. The Niro comes equipped a range of safety assist technologies as standard including all three grades of autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist, electronic stability control (ESC) and fatigue detection.  However, results of the full width frontal crash test revealed that the rear passenger was poorly protected in the chest and pelvis. Crash readings indicated that the pelvis had slipped under the seatbelt and was not properly restrained. This resulted in a penalty to the crash test score. “While overall the Kia Niro is a safe car, it’s worth looking into the details and seeing if it’s the best fit for your lifestyle and how you would use the car,” says AA Motoring Services General Manager Stella Stocks. “Consumers now have a wide range of options, particularly in the SUV market, so they’re in a position where they can pick a safe car that works for their lifestyle and their budget.” The 5 star rating applies to 1.6 litre hybrid and PHEV variants of the New Zealand sold Kia Niro. The full list of ANCAP’s vehicle safety ratings, other vehicle safety information and the specifications of the rated vehicles are available online at ancap.co.nz or rightcar.govt.nz.