Kia's new Optima and Sportage have both been awarded the maximum five-star crash safety rating by Euro NCAP in the latest round of safety testing.

Both scored highly for adult protection, scoring 89% and 90% respectively, with child occupant protection rated at 86% for Optima and 83% for Sportage.

Active safety assist technologies are key features in new Kia models, resulting in both cars scoring 71% in the ‘safety assist’ category – an increasingly important part of NCAP’s independent testing process.

Standard-fit vehicle stability management (VSM) in each car ensures stability in a wide variety of conditions, particularly if the driver needs to brake while cornering, through careful control of the electronic stability control (ESC) and electric motor-driven power steering.

VSM and ESC are activated as soon as the car’s sensors detect a loss of traction, helping the driver remain safely in control of their vehicle.

Both new models are available with a variety of optional safety technologies, depending on market, including:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which employs a long-range radar detection system to detect a potential collision with another vehicle or pedestrian and help bring the car to a halt
• Lane keeping assist system (LKAS), which detects the car’s position in relation to lane markings and takes automatic corrective action if it senses the car starting to go off course without the use of indicator
• High beam assist (HBA), which automatically adjusts headlamp range according to other vehicles and road conditions
• Speed limit information function (SLIF), displaying the speed limit in the driver’s instrument cluster based on cameras detecting roadside signs
• Blind spot detection (BSD), with a visual warning in the door mirror when another car enters the driver’s blind spot
• Rear cross traffic alert (RCTA), which warns against other cars driving behind the vehicle in car parks while reversing.

The all-new Optima is available with Advanced Smart Cruise Control, which automatically adjusts the car’s speed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicles in front.