The 2023 Kia EV6, an electric small SUV, earns a TOP SAFETY PICK+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety thanks to improved headlight offerings.
To earn either of the Institute’s two awards in 2022, a vehicle must earn good ratings in six IIHS crashworthiness evaluations, including the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests. It must also be available with a front crash prevention system that earns advanced or superior ratings in both the vehicle-to-vehicle and daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations.
For the lower-tier TOP SAFETY PICK, at least one good or acceptable headlight system must be available. For the higher-tier TOP SAFETY PICK+, good or acceptable headlights must be standard across all trims.
The EV6 meets all the requirements for the higher-tier award. All trims now come with good-rated LED reflector headlights and a standard front crash prevention system that earns superior ratings in both the vehicle-to-vehicle and daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian tests. However, some of the earliest 2023 models sold require an adjustment to the headlights to qualify for the award. Kia has notified the affected customers by letter, offering to make the adjustment free of charge at its affiliated dealerships.
All 2022 EV6s built before September do not earn an award due to a poor headlight rating.
SOURCE: IIHS
