Kia EV9: Bold Design Creates Value

Kia's EV9 electric vehicle is making waves not just for its powertrain, but for its audacious design, which deliberately disrupts traditional automotive aesthetics. Instead of relying on familiar cues like expressive headlights and grilles, the EV9 presents a more abstract, sculptural form that challenges viewer expectations. This approach, spearheaded by design chief Karim Habib, aims to imbue mass-produced vehicles with a distinct character, proving that mainstream cars can be visually exciting.

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In the ideal case, car design creates intellectual added value that not only benefits the owners of vehicles, who enjoy it privately, so to speak.

Karim Habib, who previously led design at BMW, joined Hyundai/Kia in 2019. He views the term "mainstream" as potentially negative, implying a lack of character. Instead, he prefers "volume manufacturer" for Kia, emphasizing its position as a major global player. Habib's design philosophy for Kia's newer models, especially its electric lineup, is evident in vehicles that sometimes resemble "art installations." These designs engage in a playful dialogue with conventional car aesthetics, elevating even trivial components into small sculptures.

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Cars are objects in public space, which they inevitably occupy in our society – they are seen by everyone, and in the crowd, of course, often overlooked, which goes beyond mere collision avoidance.

The EV9's front end, for instance, eschews the typical "face" of a car, creating a unique visual statement. While this unconventional styling might not appeal to everyone, it undeniably sparks interest and conversation. This is precisely the kind of intellectual added value Habib believes good car design should create, extending beyond the owner to impact the public space that vehicles inevitably occupy. The EV9, and even Kia's more affordable EV2 model, demonstrate that exciting design is not reserved for exotic supercars but can be integrated into everyday vehicles.

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When an example stands out from the anonymous crowd, one that catches the eye a little longer, then space is created for inspiration.

Habib's work at Kia represents a departure from the nostalgic view that older cars were inherently "more beautiful." He suggests that we simply forget the vast number of unremarkable vehicles from the past. By focusing on creating distinctive and engaging designs for modern, high-volume cars, Kia, under Habib's direction, is actively shaping the visual landscape and challenging perceptions of what mass-market automotive design can be.

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Mass manufacturers or mainstream, that's somehow negatively charged – as if the design then has to please everyone and therefore also has little character.