cars news 10: 2017 Kia Cadenza Nabs IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Award

The 2017 Kia Cadenza has received a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Redesigned for the 2017 model year, the Cadenza earned “Good” scores in all five crash categories, including the difficult small overlap test. IIHS never ran the previous Cadenza through the small overlap evaluation, which replicates what happens when the corner of a car hits a tree or pole at 40 mph.

The Cadenza also gains front crash prevention technology rated “Superior” by IIHS. Along with a forward collision warning feature, the model offers autonomous emergency braking, which helped the car avoid collisions during 12 mph and 25 mph tests. The feature is standard on Technology and Limited trims.

The Cadenza’s one weakest spot is its headlights, which were rated merely “Acceptable” at best. The LED lights that come with the Limited and Technology models offer fair to good visibility in all scenarios, IIHS says, but the halogen lights that are on the base Premium trim performed worse and earned a score of “Poor.” To qualify for a Top Safety Pick+ award, vehicles need to earn a minimum of “Acceptable” in the headlight evaluation.

The 2017 Kia Cadenza has not yet been rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Source: IIHS