When the Insurance Institute for Road Safety (IIHS) has performed the first crash test 2024 Kia EV9The three-row electric SUV passed nearly every test. The one exception was the performance of the headlights. While they were good for illumination, they produced significant amounts of glare, so much so that the IIHS gave the lights a “Poor” rating, making the EV6 of receiving the Top Safety Pick award. But thanks to new headlights, the EV9 now gets the accolades.
The updated headlights were introduced in February of this year and retain the strong illumination but without the blinding glare, earning them the top rating of “Good.” However, this appears to be a hardware change, so EV9s built before February 2024 won’t get the award (can’t roll out hardware changes over the air).
For reference, the other EV9 test ratings are as follows. In the small and moderate overlap tests, as well as the updated side-impact test, it earned a “Good” rating. That rating also applies to forward crash prevention, seatbelt reminders, and child seat anchor access.
The reason the EV9 doesn’t have the even higher Top Safety Pick+ award is because the IIHS hasn’t yet tested it with the updated moderate overlap crash testSo stay informed about any additional testing.