Kia has won three prestigious iF Design Awards for the outstanding design of its latest vehicles. The Niro hybrid crossover, Optima Sportswagon and all-new Rio supermini have all received prizes for product design.
2017 is the eighth consecutive year in which Kia has received at least one iF Design Award. The latest hat-trick of prizes brings the manufacturer’s total number of iF award-winning models to 12.
Peter Schreyer, President and Chief Designer of Kia Motors Corporation, commented, “These latest iF Awards are recognition for our excellent global design team. All three models, on which the Kia design centers in Korea, Germany and the United Stated cooperated closely, are highly important for our brand. With the Niro and the Optima Sportswagon, Kia has pushed into new market sectors, and has carved out a distinctive position in both segments with innovative, attractive design. With the new generation of the Rio we have given one of our global best-sellers a significantly changed, more mature character.”
The Kia Niro marries the practical advantages and aesthetic appeal of a compact crossover with a sleek appearance, differentiating it from more conservatively designed hybrid models, and giving the car a unique presence as the world’s first hybrid crossover.
The Optima Sportswagon, Kia’s first-ever D-segment tourer engineered exclusively for the European market, offers a striking exterior design and high quality interior, with the added practicality and appeal of a tourer bodystyle.
Kia’s third prize-winner in 2017, the all-new Rio, goes on sale this quarter in Europe, and offers buyers a bold new design and a modern, efficiently-packaged cabin with the latest infotainment and safety technologies. The longer bonnet and more vertical C-pillar give the new car a more purposeful and aggressive stance, with a driver-orientated dashboard which provides an innovative and ergonomic design.
iF Design Award 2017: over 5,500 products from 59 countries submitted
Since it was launched in 1953, the iF Design Award has become one of the world’s most important prizes for excellence in design. The award has its origins in the ‘Formgerechte Industrieerzeugnisse’ (Good Industrial Design) product shows initiated by the Hannover Messe, and is now one of the world’s largest design competitions.
The iF Design Award is presented in seven categories (Product, Packaging, Communication and Service Design, Architecture, Interior Design and Professional Concepts). The new Kia models have been honoured in the Product Design category. In 2017, companies from 59 countries submitted 5,575 products to be judged by an independent international jury of 58 design experts.
The official presentation ceremony for the 2017 iF Design Awards will take place on 10 March 2017 at BMW Welt in Munich. A selection of the winning products will also go on display at the iF design exhibition in Hamburg's HafenCity. Additionally, all winners can be seen on the iF website, www.ifdesign.de, and can also be viewed on the ‘iF design’ smartphone app.
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