Kia Sportage Safety Ratings (2012-2026)
NHTSA has crash-tested the Kia Sportage across 15 model years from 2012 to 2026. Its overall safety rating averages 4.9 out of 5 stars, a top five-star result.
These are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings from its New Car Assessment Program. Each vehicle is scored on frontal crash, side crash, and rollover resistance, which combine into the overall star rating. The ratings use the tougher test methodology NHTSA adopted for 2011 and later, so they are not comparable to older results and are separate from the IIHS awards you may also see. Here is how the Kia Sportage scored by model year.
Kia Sportage NHTSA ratings by model year
| Year | Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2026 KIA SPORTAGE HYBRID SUV HEV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2026 | 2026 KIA SPORTAGE HYBRID SUV HEV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2026 | 2026 KIA SPORTAGE SUV N/A AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2026 | 2026 KIA SPORTAGE SUV N/A FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Kia Sportage Hybrid SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Kia Sportage Hybrid SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Kia Sportage HEV SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
How NHTSA's crash tests work
NHTSA scores three crash tests and combines them into the overall rating. The frontal test drives the vehicle into a fixed barrier at 35 mph to model a head-on collision. The side test hits the vehicle with a moving barrier and, separately, slams it sideways into a rigid pole, which is the type of crash that puts the most force on occupants. The rollover rating is part lab measurement of how top-heavy the vehicle is and part dynamic maneuver test. More stars is better in every case, with five the top mark.
What the ratings do not tell you
Two caveats are worth holding onto. Star ratings only compare vehicles of a similar size and weight, so a five-star small car and a five-star large SUV did not face the same physics, and the heavier vehicle generally protects its occupants better in a collision between the two. The ratings also come from standardized lab tests, which cannot capture every real-world crash. They are a strong, independent measure of crashworthiness, not a guarantee, and they are separate from both the IIHS awards and the recall record on this site. See the Kia Sportage recall history and its common owner problems for the rest of the safety picture.
Common questions about Kia Sportage safety
- Is the Kia Sportage a safe car?
- In NHTSA crash tests, the Kia Sportage averages 4.9 out of 5 stars overall across the 2012 to 2026 model years, a top five-star result. 31 of the 36 tested configurations earned the full five stars.
- What is the Kia Sportage crash test rating?
- The most recently rated Kia Sportage (2026) earned 5 out of 5 stars overall from NHTSA, with 5 stars in the frontal test, 5 in the side test, and 4 for rollover resistance.
- Are NHTSA stars the same as IIHS ratings?
- No. The star ratings here come from NHTSA's federal crash-test program. The IIHS is a separate insurance-industry group with its own tests and "Top Safety Pick" awards. Both are worth checking, and they do not always agree.
Ratings come from NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program (model year 2011 and later). See the methodology and data sources for detail. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.