For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-90 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.
The Mazda CX-90 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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 CX-90 Premium has a standard Secondary Collision Reduction System, 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.
Both the CX-90 and the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda CX-90 is safer than the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid:
|
CX-90 |
Sorento Plug-In Hybrid |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
255 |
390 |
Chest Compression |
.5 inches |
.5 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
42.3% |
53% |
Neck Stress |
96 lbs. |
159 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
83 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 Mazda CX-90 is safer than the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid:
|
CX-90 |
Sorento Plug-In Hybrid |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
12 inches |
15 inches |
Spine Acceleration |
31 G’s |
32 G’s |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The Mazda CX-90 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.