Red Dot design award for Kia Sportage

Kia's best-seller in Europe, the Sportage's 2016 Red Dot award follows the compact SUV's first Red Dot award in 2011.

 

The annual awards, which are decided by a panel of 41 experts, sees entries judged on criteria such as degree of innovation, formal quality, functionality and ecological compatibility.

Peter Schreyer, President and Chief Designer of Kia Motors Corporation and Hyundai Motor Group, commented: "Our international design team has every cause to be exceptionally proud of these most recent awards [the Optima sedan was also awarded].

 

"It is a very special achievement to further develop a first-rate, prize-winning model so that the new design also convinces the expert jury of this globally respected and prestigious design competition."

 

The latest generation Kia Sportage was developed under the leadership of the European Kia Design Centre in Frankfurt with the support of Kia's Design Centres in Namyang (Korea) and Irvine (USA).

 

The most striking change to the new Sportage's exterior is on the 'face' of the compact SUV. The headlights, which used to link with Kia's signature 'tiger-nose' grille are now separate. The new 'GT Line' version of the Sportage presents a sportier appearance, with exclusive design elements, including a redesigned grille, 'ice cube'-style fog lamps, under-body cladding and twin tailpipes.