Kia 2009 Annual Report Download - page 14

In 2005, Kia Motors designated ‘design’ as a core capability that would become
the centerpiece of the company’s revival. One year later, we publicly announced
our intention to compete globally and win market share based on the excellence of
our product designs. The company’s ‘Design Management’ philosophy has become
ingrained company-wide, and won us numerous awards.
Perhaps our proudest achievement to date has been the Soul. The showpiece of
Kia’s design initiatives, it has rapidly won acclaim in every country where it has been
introduced. In 2009, Soul won Honorable Mention in the Red Dot design awards -
the rst Korean automobile ever to have been ranked so highly. It also received the
2009 Presidential ‘Good Design’ award in Korea, and was nominated for ‘Best Vehicle
Interior’ by a major U.S trade publication.
Kia’s ‘city-style’ MPV, the Venga, which was released exclusively in Europe, has
been honored with a nomination in the transportation design category of the 2010
International Forum (iF) Design Awards. This nomination is another rst for a Korean
production car. The iF Design Award is particularly signicant because the Hannover-
based Forum uses a comprehensive set of criteria in its judging, covering design,
materials, inventiveness, environmental impact, ergonomics, safety, brand value and,
naturally, product performance.
Design
Management Report
The 2006 Paris Motor Show served
as the platform from which we
revealed our intentions to the world,
announcing the launch of our design
management system and unveiling
Kia’s unique design DNA.
Kia Motors showcased a concept car called the ‘Kee’
at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Kee’s radiator
grille had been stylized to take on an animal expression,
inspired by the snout of a tiger. The same elements were
later applied to the Koup concept car and the Lotze
Innovation (Optima/Magentis), Forte (all-new Cerato) and
Soul production automobiles.
Design management has became an integral part
of our corporate culture, spreading throughout
the Kia organization rst as slogans, and
eventually as a full-edged revolution in the way
our employees, managers and executives think
about and perform their daily tasks.
Led by the Morning (Picanto), Mohave (Borrego),
Lotze Innovation (Optima/Magentis), Forte (all-new
Cerato) and Soul, the ‘Design Kia’ wave has spread
across the domestic market, allowing Kia to grab
30% of new car sales in 2008.
 Kia Motors proudly received the President’s
Award for Design, Korea’s most respected prize
for design excellence.
 Kia Motors’ Forte received the Pin up Design
Award.
 Kia Motors’ Soul won honorable mention from
the Red Dot Design Award.
  Kia Motors’ Soul won honorable mention from
the 2009 Red Dot Design Award.
Kia Motors’ Soul proudly received the President’s
Award for Design, Korea’s most respected prize
for design excellence.
 Kia Motors’ Venga received the 2010 International
Forum Design Award for Transportation Design
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The next step was to nd just the
right person to take on the role of
Chief Design Ofcer. That person
was Peter Schreyer, one of the
world’s top three car designers.
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In April of 2007 our new concepts
were ready for launch. ‘The simplicity
of the straight line’ became the
unifying element that would form
the identity of Kia’s new line-up of
automobiles.
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The opening of the Kia Design Center America in June of
2008 completed a design network that spans the world. It
joins the Kia Design Center Europe, located in Kia Motors’
European headquarters in Frankfurt, as part of a creative
web joining America, Europe, Korea and Japan.
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Kia has made impressive gains worldwide since the adoption of the ‘Design Kia’
management paradigm. We realized that the way for Kia to surge rapidly forward
and become a beloved brand in the minds of the world’s drivers was to focus all
our efforts on design. Kia has created a truly unique style DNA that gives our
drivers a sense of pride and identity offered by no other car maker.
Design
Management
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REDEFINING
MOBILITY
KIA MOTORS
ANNUAL REPORT
2009
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REDEFINING
MOBILITY
KIA MOTORS
ANNUAL REPORT
2009
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