Dj Chilu 
Kia honored with dual accolades at 2024 Newsweek World’s Greatest Auto Disruptors Awards
- Head of Kia Global Design, Karim Habib, named ‘Designer Disruptor of the Year’ for ground-breaking ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy
- Kia EV9 awarded ‘Research and Development Disruptor of the Year’ for innovative applications of advanced technologies
- Newsweek awards, now in their third year, recognise those driving fundamental, transformative change with measurable real-world results
- Latest awards follows five awards for Kia in the 2024 iF Design Awards
Kia’s is celebrating victory in two key categories at this year’s Newsweek World’s Greatest Auto Disruptors Awards, with the all-electric EV9 winning ‘Research and Development Disruptor of the Year’ and its Head of Kia Global Design, Executive Vice President Karim Habib, named ‘Design Disruptor of the Year’.
Announced during an event at Newsweek HQ in New York, the World’s Greatest Auto Disruptors Awards recognize those driving fundamental, transformative change with measurable real-world results. These latest accolades follow on from previous Hyundai Motor Group successes, including 2022 wins in the ‘R&D Team of the Year’ and ‘Powertrain of the Year’ categories, as well as individual honours for Executive Chair Euisun Chung – named ‘Visionary of the Year’ in 2022 – and Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke – named ‘Designer of the Year’ in 2023.
A central figure in Kia’s success since his arrival in 2019, EVP Karim Habib is the driving force behind the brand’s award-winning Opposites United design philosophy. Taking inspiration from the contrasts found in nature and humanity, Opposites United shapes the exterior, interior, colour, and materials employed across all new Kia models, and is particularly evident in the striking styling of the all-electric EV9.
Speaking upon the announcement of his award, EVP Karim said: “It makes me extremely happy that Kia is seen as pushing the boundaries when it comes to design, and I believe that it is essential for designers to consistently take creative risks.
“It is important that design remains authentic and true to our brand values. At Kia, an innovative and forward-thinking mindset is an intrinsic quality, essential for providing relevant and meaningful products and experiences. We want our brand to provide environmentally responsible mobility for all; and we want our brand to be a symbol of innovation and progressive solutions.”
Winner of Kia’s second award of the evening, for ‘Research and Development Disruptor of the Year’, the Kia EV9 features multiple innovative R&D features including 800V architecture, Over The Air (OTA) update technology, and a drag coefficient of just 0.28, bringing next generation technology, luxury, and efficiency to more buyers than ever before.
Heuiwon Yang, President and Head of Kia R&D Division, said: “Kia R&D is driven by process, but not limited by it. At Kia, that means our engineers have the agency and trust to accelerate development, continue to pioneer new technology, and deliver improvements faster than the industry average. The EV9 was designed to reshape expectations in the segment, but affordability is a defining factor in the three-row mainstream segment – especially for growing families. We wanted the EV9 to offer the best of everything, without passing on those costs to the consumer.”
Receiving the award on behalf of Kia, President and CEO of Kia North America and Kia America Seungkyu (Sean) Yoon added: “The recognition of Newsweek’s editors is of particular significance to Kia, which strives to disrupt the status quo through innovative products which enrich the lives of their users. These dual awards demonstrate that the visionary leadership offered by our senior executives is having a real and meaningful impact on the vehicles which we create, delivering on Kia’s goal to become the leader in sustainable mobility solutions.”
These latest awards follow on Kia’s recent five-award status at the 2024 iF Design Awards, where the Kia EV9 added to its honourable list of awards with exclusive Gold award status while demonstrating the continuing impact of Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy. In addition to the EV9’s successes, Kia was honoured to have several other projects recognised by the iF judges, including the branding for Kia’s ’80 years of movement’ communications, its ‘Windows of Inspiration’ trade fair booth design and ‘Kia EV Unplugged Ground’ interactive media experience.
The iF Design Awards were founded in 1954 by iF International Forum Design GmbH in Hanover, one of the world’s leading independent design institutions. Each year around 10,800 designs from 72 nations are considered for the awards, which honour and celebrate winners in 81 categories across nine disciplines: Product, Communication, Packaging, Service Design, Architecture, Interior Architecture, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI) and Professional Concepts. To be win an iF Design Award requires passing a rigorous two-stage selection process adjudicated by renowned design experts, signifying a design’s contemporary relevance and global impact.
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