Auto Trader NZ
Published 3 September 2020
From 2011, all new Kia vehicles are to be equipped with a safety feature that enables the driver to use the brake, even if the accelerator is jammed.
Kia says the move is a response to an issue that was raised in the US, when cars made by Toyota were claimed to have accelerated out of control and crashed.
Kia Motors are adding a Brake Over-ride system to all their petrol models for passenger vehicles being built for delivery in 2011, including those sold in the New Zealand market. All New Zealand Kia diesel engine’d passenger cars since 2005 have the system fitted.
Todd McDonald, General Manager of Kia Motors New Zealand, says: “The decision reinforces that Kia Motors in New Zealand doesn’t compromise on safety features in our cars, including attributes like side curtain airbags and Electronic Stability programme.
“Even though no Kia vehicles have been implicated in the unintended acceleration issue in the US, Kia Motors wants to re-assure buyers that its new vehicles will have the additional Brake Over-ride safety feature enabling the driver to have full braking control,” says McDonald.
Vehicles made by Kia have recently received praise for their safety, including the latest Kia Sorento R, which has just become the fourth new generation Kia model to be awarded a ‘Top Safety Pick’ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in America.
New Kia vehicles sold in New Zealand are provided with standard safety features including Electronic Stability Programme, ABS anti-lock braking, front/side/curtain airbags and safety cell structure.
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