Kia Corporation has earned top honours at the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2026, with the Kia EV4 receiving the competition’s highest distinction, ‘Best of the Best,’ and the Kia PV5 recognised with a ‘Winner’ award.
This achievement reinforces Kia’s global design leadership and reflects the continued impact of its ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy in delivering innovative, user-centred, and sustainable mobility solutions.
“It is an honour for Kia to once again be recognised by the Red Dot Design Award, especially with the EV4 achieving the highest distinction,” said Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design. “These awards reflect the impact of our ‘Opposites United’ philosophy in shaping mobility solutions that are both relevant and meaningful, delivering intuitive and seamless experiences for our users. From the EV4’s bold reinterpretation of the saloon to the PV5’s flexible, user-centred approach to PBV design, both vehicles demonstrate Kia’s commitment to bringing together emotional appeal with everyday practicality.”
Why was the Kia EV4 named ‘Best of the Best’?
The Kia EV4 was recognised for its bold, innovative approach to saloon car design, introducing a new typology to the traditional segment. Developed under Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy, the EV4 features a striking fastback silhouette that challenges conventions, while the hatchback variant further enhances versatility by combining compact, dynamic proportions with practicality tailored to meet the needs of European customers.
How does the Kia PV5 demonstrate Kia’s PBV design strategy?
The Kia PV5, recipient of a ‘Winner’ award, showcases Kia’s forward-looking Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) strategy and its modular design approach.
It features a shared front-end design paired with flexible rear modules that can be adapted for various use cases. The line-up includes Passenger, Cargo, WAV (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle) and Crew models – each designed to deliver optimised space, practicality and usability while maintaining a consistent design identity. The recognition adds to the PV5’s growing list of achievements, following its recent Gold award at the 2026 iF Design Awards.
Kia’s ongoing Red Dot success
Kia’s consistent performance at global design competitions reflects the strength of its long-term design strategy. Its Red Dot Award: ‘Best of the Best’ winners now include: EV6 (2022), EV9 (2024), EV3 (2025), and EV4 (2026).
About the Red Dot Award
Established in 1955, the Red Dot Award is organised by Germany’s Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen and is one of the world’s most prestigious design competitions. Judged by an independent panel of international experts, the award recognises excellence in product design, brand and communication design, and design concepts based on criteria including innovation, functionality and quality. The ‘Best of the Best’ is the competition’s highest honour, awarded only to the most ground-breaking and innovative designs.