subject: Kia Gets Multiple If Product Design Awards [print this page] The annual iF product design awards has become one of the world's most important prizes for excellence in design, since its launch in 1953. For the iF product design award 2011, the organisers received 2,756 submissions from 43 countries for products registered in 16 categories. The Kia Sportage and Kia Optima won in the "Transportation Design" category.
While handing the Awards to Kia the judges also recognised Kias high quality workmanship, level of innovativeness, eco-friendliness, ergonomics and safety.
Tae-Hyun Oh the Senior Vice-President & Chief Operating Officer of Kia Motors Corporation said on receiving the awards, These latest awards for the all-new Kia Sportage and Optima are positive proof of the tremendous strides Kia has made in revolutionizing the styling of our product line-up, Our global management team's focus on design since the mid-2000s is now clearly paying dividends, and, in conjunction with the rapidly improving quality of our vehicles, Kia's enhanced brand reputation is being driven by the stunning designs being created by our design teams around the world, led by Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer.
Kias design philosophy has come a long way in the last decade, long gone are the days when Kia models were basic, square and to be frank quite ugly. Kias new design philosophy and mantra has helped the Kia Sportage find visual dynamism. The Sportage crossover is highly successful in blending the key features of an SUV while making it sporty and appealing to the masses.
A traditional Kia Rio dealer in Colchester told us how Kias design shift in recent years has meant they now have a lot more footfall though the dealership as well as people stopping by the forecourt to admire models like the Sportage and Ceed.
