Kia

The multi-award-winning new Kia Sorento has received two more internationally acclaimed accolades, winning both the Red Dot Award and the iF Award for its product design.

This latest recognition for Kia’s flagship SUV continues the brand’s extraordinary success in the Red Dot and iF competitions. Since the Kia Soul was awarded the Red Dot in 2009, the first vehicle from a Korean brand to do so, a total of 26 Kia models have received the coveted ‘red dot’. And in the iF Award, which the brand first received in 2010, the number of award-winning Kia vehicles has risen to a total of 21 with the new Sorento’s recent triumph.

Shortly after its worldwide premiere last year, the new Sorento was honoured for its outstanding design in the ‘All-Wheel Drive Car of the Year 2020’ poll by Auto Bild Allrad.  A short time later, it received the illustrious German automotive award, the ‘Golden Steering Wheel 2020’ in the ‘Large SUV’ class.  And in March this year, it was voted ‘Women's World Car of the Year 2021’ in the ‘Large SUV’ category.

"When designing the new Sorento, we looked to evolve the robust, aesthetic of earlier generations, while applying a greater degree of refinement and elegance.  Indeed, the concept of ‘refined boldness’ inspired the whole process – with the result being, we believe, a mature and balanced, yet confident design.  We’re delighted that prestigious awards bodies like Red Dot and iF have recognised this work," said Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design Center.

News of the awards follows hot on the heels of the recent announcement that Kia New Zealand will now offer the Sorento in a variety of new EX Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid trim levels, meaning Sorento ownership is more attainable than ever before.

“Winning the Red Dot and iF awards serve to reinforce the all-round popularity of this exciting new model, and provide additional reasons why people should consider Sorento when purchasing a seven-seat SUV,” said Managing Director of Kia New Zealand, Todd McDonald.

“Sorento continues to receive widespread acclaim for eye-catching design, innovative interior configuration, leading edge technology and five-star safety.

“It’s the perfect vehicle, especially for families, who desire a well-appointed all-wheel drive capable of transporting as many as seven people in comfort and style.”

Red Dot and iF: Two of the most important design awards worldwide

The Red Dot Design Award and the iF Design Award are among the largest and most important design competitions in the world.  The Red Dot Award is announced annually by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen and is divided into three disciplines: Product Design, Brands & Communication Design and Design Concept.  In the tradition-steeped ‘Red Dot Award: Product Design’, with a history going back to 1955, manufacturers and designers from 60 countries participated with 7,800 products in 2021.  The entries were assessed by an international jury of around 50 independent designers, design professors and trade journalists from various sectors.  In addition to aesthetics, the product design competition also evaluates criteria such as degree of innovation, functionality, ergonomics, self-explanatory quality and ecological compatibility.

The iF Design Award has been organized since 1954 by iF International Forum Design GmbH in Hanover, one of the world's leading independent design institutions.  This year, the competition, for which more than 9,500 entries were submitted by participants from 52 countries, featured several innovations.  These include a digital preliminary round (‘Online Preselection’), in which half of the submissions are selected for the final round (‘Final Jury’), a transparent evaluation of all categories, including new disciplines ‘user experience’ (UX) and ‘user interface’ (UI).  The other categories are Product, Communication, Packaging and Service Design, Architecture, Interior Design and Professional Concepts.  This year, the iF jury consisted of 98 independent international design experts.  All award-winning products are published in the "iF World Design Guide" (ifworlddesignguide.com) and in the "iF Design App".