When it comes to car design, few can dispute how far the South Korean auto conglomerate Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) have come in the last decade. The brand has consistently produced head turners at about the same price as your typical Japanese rival. Just as 2020 comes to a close, all three of HMG’s car brands took home design awards from the Good Design Awards in the Transportation category. Here’s are the winners from each brand.
Kia
Kia took home wins for their K5 sedan and Sorento SUV. Both vehicles went through full model changes this year, sitting on new chassis and bringing new evolutions in styling. These were Kia’s 2 wins from Good Design this year, though they have won in previous years.
Genesis
The premium arm of Hyundai Motor Group bagged 3 of the aesthetic-related awards this year. They won for their new G80 sedan, new GV80 SUV their ‘Copper Design Theme’ found within the Genesis Infotainment system.
The all-new G80 builds on the success of the Hyundai Genesis, which eventually spawned the separate Genesis brand. The design direction in this generation was completely different and noticeably more upmarket and distinct looking. The GV80 meanwhile is the company’s first SUV and takes a similarly upmarket look on. We even got to see it in Malaysia when the MCO rules began to be relaxed. As for the Copper Design theme, that’s just a skin for the infotainment software as we can tell.
Hyundai themselves walked away with the most awards. They were recognised for their 45 and Prophecy EV concepts (which ironically will be launched not as Hyundai products but as separate ‘Ioniq’ branded cars later on.
They also got design recognition for the all-new Hyundai Elantra, which we have to admit is rather a good looking car. It’s also the only thing listed here that’s actually available for sale in Malaysia.
The last thing Hyundai won a Good Design Award for was their Hi-Charger.
Hyundai Motor Company announced its win of four accolades at this year’s GOOD DESIGN Awards. Hyundai’s two most progressive EV concepts, 45 and Prophecy, together with the all-new 2021 Hyundai Elantra and the Hyundai Hi-Charger, an ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure, were recognized in the Awards’ Transportation category.
About GOOD DESIGN
Celebrating its 70th anniversary, the GOOD DESIGN Awards program is one of the oldest design competitions in the world. Every year, the program selects a list of products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing that have chartered new directions for innovation and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace.
ENTRY FEE
The fee is $375.00 USD per entry. Foreign checks must include a $50.00 USD additional payment for bank processing fees.
