Kia  Wins Three Design  Awards

Kia Motors has been presented with a trio of 2017 GOOD DESIGN awards, celebrating the form and function of three of the brand’s newest vehicles.

Entered into the GOOD DESIGN ‘Transportation’ category, Kia received awards for the designs of the new Rio compact hatchback, Stinger fastback sports sedan and Niro hybrid crossover.

This is the eighth consecutive year in which Kia has received GOOD DESIGN awards for its vehicles. Previous Kia winners include concept cars such as the 2016 Kia Telluride Concept and 2014 GT4 Stinger Concept, as well as production vehicles like the Soul EV and Cadenza premium sedan.

Seon Ho Youn, Head of Kia Design Center at Kia Motors, commented: “Our designers around the world have worked tirelessly and collaboratively to bring stylish new models to market, attracting new customers and raising awareness of the brand through beautiful, impactful design. The GOOD DESIGN awards for these three models are recognition of their excellent work.”

The award-winning Rio, Stinger and Niro have been created by teams working at each of Kia’s three global design studios, in Namyang, Korea; Irvine, California in the USA; and Frankfurt, Germany.

The awards program is held annually by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, and is run in cooperation with the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies. Made up of design professionals and media, and specialists from numerous industries, the independent jury evaluates submissions for design innovation, use of new technology, form and function, materials and construction, utility, efficiency, and environmental impact. All three of Kia’s 2017 entrants left a positive impression across every one of the judging categories.

Established in 1950, the GOOD DESIGN awards are among the oldest and most influential design award programs in the world, celebrating innovative and contemporary designs of new consumer products, graphics and packaging from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. 2017 saw the jury critique products and designs from 49 countries around the world.