This Kia SUV is the first to get carmaker’s new Multi-Collision Brake system

The new Kia Sorento SUV will be the first car to be equipped with the Korean carmaker’s Multi-Collision Brake system. The new technology will help prevent passengers from being involved in secondary collisions after an initial impact.

The Multi-Collision Brake system is designed to mitigate the severity of a secondary collision, which can happen when the vehicle continues to a stop, often out of the driver’s control, after the initial impact. The system is activated by the deployment of the vehicle’s airbags, which indicates a severity of accident that warrants intervention.

Once activated, the system measures the speed of the vehicle and any change in direction, applying the appropriate level of braking force to bring the car to a controlled stop.

The system monitors the position of the pedals to check if the driver is attempting to accelerate or brake. If the MCB system detects little or no driver intervention, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) mechanism intervenes to apply the appropriate amount of braking for the car’s level of momentum. The system is not active at speeds exceeding 180 kmph, as brake intervention at high speeds can cause other severe impacts.

The fourth-generation Sorento will be the first Kia sold in Europe to include this innovative new safety technology. The Sorento is already one of the safest cars in its class, fitted with a wide range of collision mitigating technology, including Kia’s latest Forward Collision-avoidance Assist (FCA) technology with pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle detection. MCB extends the Sorento’s safety remit by focussing on the situation immediately after an accident, further improving the car’s extensive safety package.

MCB will be offered as standard on all Sorento models, including the new Plug-in Hybrid model which is due to launch in Europe early in 2021.

MCB’s effectiveness in preventing secondary accidents has already been acknowledged by Europe’s car safety assessment body Euro NCAP. Testing of the system has indicated that a car with MCB showed an 8% decrease in fatalities and a 4% decrease in severe injuries compared to the same car without MCB.

Kia will roll out MCB to other models in line with planned model updates during the coming year.