The Kia compact electric SUV, EV3, has won the Best of the Best award at the German “Red Dot Award.” [Provided by Kia]
Hyundai Motor Company and Kia announced on the 21st that they claimed seven crowns, including one Best of the Best award and six main awards at the 2025 Red Dot Award: Product Design.
The Red Dot Award, organized by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Germany, is one of the “top three design awards in the world.” It annually selects outstanding designs in categories such as product design, brand and communication design, and design concepts.
In the product design category announced this time, Kia EV3 received the Best of the Best award, while six products from Hyundai, including the Ioniq 9, the All-New Palisade, smart taxi indicators, a home electric vehicle charger, the E-pit ultra-fast charger, and the Pixel emergency hammer and cutter, won the main award.
Particularly noteworthy is the EV3, which had previously won the “World Car of the Year” award on the 16th (local time) and demonstrated its competitiveness again by winning the Red Dot Best of the Best award, given only to products with the highest design quality.
The EV3 has been recognized for its bold and robust style that captures the futuristic electric vehicle aesthetic, based on Kia’s design philosophy, “Opposites United.” The car features a sturdy appearance with a dynamic roofline that creates a harmonious contrast.
With the EV3’s Best of the Best award, Kia continues to prove its design competitiveness for dedicated electric vehicle models, following the same category wins for the EV6 in 2022 and the EV9 in 2024. The Ioniq 9, which received the main award, is a large electrified SUV inspired by a boat design, offering both a sleek exterior that minimizes water resistance and a spacious and cozy interior. The smooth and gentle silhouette stretches from the bonnet to the rear end of the roof, not only creating a graceful exterior design but also reducing air resistance.
The All-New Palisade features a bold impression with daring proportions applied to the side, and a robust design reflected in the DRLs and grille at the front, giving it the appearance of a grand sculpture. Additionally, its interior, designed under the theme of “premium living space,” offers a cozy atmosphere akin to a living area furnished with luxury furniture.
A Hyundai-Kia representative commented, “This award is a result of Hyundai-Kia’s design philosophy and future-driven inspiration coming together,” adding, “We will continue to strive to provide customers with differentiated mobility experiences through outstanding design capabilities.”