There is no doubt that this is a beast of an SUV, but it has been very carefully designed to take its place, right away, alongside other traditional cars of its kind from “heavy” brands. Apparently, in fact, it has managed to surpass several of them, coming out on top in the purely electric category. The Kia EV9 won the gold trophy at the 2024 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), presented by the International Designers Society of America (IDSA).
This is Kia’s first IDEA Gold award and a clear selection of the three most important global design awards for the brand, following the EV9’s successes in the Red Dot ‘Best of Best’ and iF Design Gold awards earlier this year. Kia was awarded the top gold trophy in the Automotive & Transportation category for its EV9 all-electric SUV at the IDEA 2024 awards ceremony, held on September 12 at the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas. This award reinforces the excellence and originality of the EV9’s design, as well as the innovative nature of Kia’s acclaimed ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy.
As highlighted, the EV9 embodies the essence of ‘Opposites United’, which harnesses the creative tension created by the divergent values of nature and modernity to deliver a harmonious whole. This philosophy inspired Kia’s designers to break free from conventional thinking and create a pioneering electric vehicle with a bold and authentic character, pushing the boundaries of design, usability, connectivity and environmental responsibility. The EV9 is characterised by clean lines and smooth surfaces, while unique elements such as the Digital Tiger Face grille, Digital Pattern light grille and vertical headlights contribute to its unique futuristic appeal. This quality aesthetic has helped the EV9 receive honours at the Red Dot and iF Design Awards and secure a Gold Award at IDEA 2024.
It is worth noting that this year marks IDEA’s 44th anniversary, making it one of the longest-running and most recognized global design awards programs. Unaffected by changing fashions or fleeting style, the annual competition focuses exclusively on identifying and honoring the pinnacle of design excellence.
EV9 Gold Trophy in the category Cars and Transportation comes seven years after the Kia Telluride Concept received the IDEA Bronze Award in 2017. The EV9 spearheads Kia’s strategic commitment to maintaining its leadership in global sustainable mobility. The seven-seat all-electric SUV was the first production car to feature Kia’s 10 “must-have” sustainable elements, which have been incorporated into all new models of the brand and embody Kia’s commitment to developing natural and organic materials.
Important: Since its launch in 2023, the EV9’s design values and broad customer appeal have made it an iconic global success. In addition to the Red Dot, iF Design and IDEA awards, the EV9 received two awards at the World Car Awards 2024 as overall winner (“World Car of the Year”) and as best electric vehicle (“World Electric Vehicle”).