The 2014 model-year Kia Sedona has drawn the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 5-Star overall safety rating for crash-test performance.

The vehicle netted five stars in the frontal and side-impact tests and four stars in the rollover test.  

“The Sedona earning NHTSA’s 5-Star safety rating is an honor and an accomplishment,” said Michael Sprague, Kia Motors executive vice president of marketing and communications. 

Safety features on the 2014 Sedona include six standard airbags (dual advanced front and front seat-mounted side air bags, full-length side curtain air bags for all three seating rows); active front headrests; and a four-channel, four-sensor antilock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), which takes into account vehicle load and weight distribution and applies the appropriate stopping force. 

The EBD system adapts to individual wheel grip conditions to help improve both control and stability. Additional standard safety equipment for Sedona includes a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), electronic stability control (ESC) and a traction control system (TCS).

In conjunction with the ABS, the TCS uses brake and engine torque intervention to enhance traction during launch and acceleration on slippery road surfaces. If the ABS system detects wheel slip, it signals the engine control unit to adjust torque output accordingly. 

TCS also senses when one or more wheels spin faster than the vehicle's speed, and if necessary, applies the brakes accordingly. Working together, the two systems limit wheel spin and help the driver maintain control.

Working with the standard ABS with EBD and TCS, the ESC system can apply individual brakes selectively to help control over-steer and under-steer as needed to help the driver maintain control on slippery surfaces or during certain emergency maneuvers.