The e-tron’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.
The Audi e-tron has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.
The e-tron’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.
The e-tron has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.
An active infrared night vision system optional on the e-tron helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera and near-infrared lights to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a night vision system.
Both the e-tron and the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.
The Audi e-tron weighs 1228 to 1572 pounds more than the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi e-tron is safer than the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid:
|
e-tron |
Sorento Plug-In Hybrid |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
212 |
334 |
Neck Compression |
16 lbs. |
22 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
137/335 lbs. |
212/405 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
323 |
390 |
Chest Compression |
.5 inches |
.5 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
38% |
53% |
Neck Stress |
157 lbs. |
159 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
67 lbs. |
89 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi e-tron is safer than the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid:
|
e-tron |
Sorento Plug-In Hybrid |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
8 inches |
15 inches |
HIC |
279 |
280 |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the e-tron, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 6.7% less likely to roll over than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid, which received a four-star rating.
For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the e-tron its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 89 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.