Kia Is Committed to Vehicle Safety, Uses High-Stiffness Body Parts

Kia has employed a more modern method for stamping its body parts for the new Optima, resulting in greater safety in the event of collisions, and reducing the vehicle's carbon footprint with lowered emissions and increased fuel efficiency.

Hot stamping is a method used for making 150kgf ultra high tensile steel sheets. It involves heating high tensile steel to over 900 degrees Celsius (1,652 degrees Fahrenheit), and then stamping it and simultaneously cooling it.

Ultra high strength body parts made with this new stamping method include the center filler, which supports the car body during a side impact, and the roof side rail that connects the sides of the roof. 120 kgf ultra high tensile strength steel is used to make the side sill, for a larger cross section, while 45 kgf steel sheets are added to the inside of the center filler as reinforcement.

High tensile steel sheets were used in various areas of the car's body, improving its strength and reducing weight. High tensile sheets of over 35 kgf make up more than 60% of the car body, while ultra high tensile steel sheets of over 60kgf are used in 20% of the car's body.

The hot stamping method on ultra high strength steel sheets for side safety has proven its usefulness in the Korea NCAP test, which gave the new Optima the highest marks (5 stars) for side impacts.

Kia recently received good news that the Venga and Sportage were awarded 5-star safety by EuroNCAP, the Korean brand continuing to demonstrate commitment to vehicle safety.