Kia receives three design awards at Automotive Brand Contest 2012

Press release

Published August 27th, 2012 - 06:44 GMT

Al Bawaba

Kia Motors Corporation has recently garnered three design awards in the Automotive Brand Contest 2012, the latest of a series of honours for the Korean brand’s design team headed by Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer.

The new Kia cee’d – launched in June 2012 – triumphed in the exterior category and also received an honorary special mention for exceptional innovation in the interior category.

In addition, the high profile jury selected the Kia GT as the winner of the concept award. The rear-wheel drive sports sedan design study celebrated its world premiere in September 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Automotive Brand Contest, which was held for the first time in 2011, has become an internationally recognized competition. It is open to car manufacturers, automotive parts suppliers and companies delivering design and brand communications services to the automotive industry. There are a total of 16 awards categories, covering vehicle design, parts and accessories, technology, digital, branding and events activities.

This year’s two Kia award winners are key models for the brand. The second generation of the cee’d, Kia’s best-selling model in Europe, features bold lines on the bonnet, styling that is typically found on a sporty coupe, while its interior offers space and functionality. The Kia GT design study combines supple, muscular proportions with a sophisticated, elegant four-seat interior.

Kia Motors received several accolades at last year’s inaugural Automotive Brand Contest, winning the Best of the Best award in the brand design category, while Kia’s Sportage, Rio and Optima models all claimed victories in the exterior category.

The Automotive Brand Contest is organized by the German Design Council, which was founded in 1953 as an initiative of the German Federal Parliament and today counts among the world’s leading competence centers for communication and knowledge transfer in the field of design.

Background Information

Kia Motors

Kia Motors Corporation is a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart. It was founded in 1944 and is Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world's premier automotive brands.

Kia Motors produce over 1.5 million vehicles a year in 13 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 172 countries.