Coveted design awards for the all-new Kia Sportage SUV and Optima

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwired - Feb. 1, 2016) - Kia Motors has been awarded two new awards to add to its growing collection of prestigious prizes for the outstanding design of its cars. Both of the Korean brand's newest models - the Kia Sportage small 4x4 and Kia Optima saloon - have received prestigious iF Design Awards, making 2016 the seventh year in succession that Kia has won this coveted prize.

The new generations of both the all-new Kia Optima and all-new Kia Sportage cars are going on sale globally during the first quarter of 2016, but have already received awards in iF Design's 'Product' category. As well as overall design quality, the independent jury evaluated the cars on their finish, innovation, environmental impact and safety.

Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia Motors UK commented: "We are delighted to accept these awards for the all-new Kia Sportage and Optima as proof of our design teams' consistent efforts to develop prize-winning designs. The new Sportage features a distinctive new face, and the elegant Optima saloon highlights other, different facets of Kia's design. These are important flagship models for us, clearly demonstrating the design-led transformation of the Kia model range in recent years."

With the latest generation of the all-new Sportage, Kia has created an innovative, highly developed small SUV, with a powerful new exterior design. Its redesigned, high quality interior combines modern elegance with high-quality materials and practical features, and offers owners the latest comfort, connectivity and safety technologies. A revised and extended range of engines results in greater efficiency and performance, while ride comfort and handling are also enhanced. The all-new Kia Sportage is now available with a new 'GT Line' specification for the first time, aimed at customers seeking a more dynamic driving experience and looks to match. Just as versatile as the standard Sportage upon which it is based, the GT Line model offers the same practical qualities, but stands out on account of its sporty appearance and even more engaging driving characteristics.

Dynamic appearance and striking design also characterise the all-new Kia Optima saloon, which heralded the start of Kia's design-led transformation when it went on sale globally from 2010. The new car model retains the dynamic image that has made the Kia Optima one of Kia's international bestselling models, with modern surface details, sharp styling lines, and a long, lean silhouette giving the car an even bolder on-road presence than its predecessors. The Optima boasts a spacious, high quality interior, the latest connectivity technologies and driver assistance systems, an engaging drive with high levels of driving comfort and a range of efficient powertrains.

Since it was launched in 1953, the annual iF Design Award has become one of the world's most important prizes for excellence in design. The award has its origins in the 'Formgerechte Industrieerzeugnisse' (Good Industrial Design) product shows initiated by Germany's Hannover Messe, and is now one of the world's largest and most prestigious design competitions.

The iF Design Award is presented across seven disciplines. In 2016, companies from 53 countries participated in the iF Design Awards, submitting a total of 5,295 new designs. Kia's latest car models were honoured in the 'Automobiles/Vehicles/Bikes' category.

The official presentation ceremony for the 2016 iF Design Awards will take place on 26 February 2016 at the Munich Creative Business Week. A selection of the winning products will also go on display at a special iF Design exhibition in Hamburg's HafenCity. Additionally, all winners can be seen on the iF Design website, www.ifdesign.de, and can also be viewed on the iF Design smartphone app.

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