The Automaker That Takes Design Very Seriously? Kia. Surprised? Here's Why... #automotive

Think great automotive design is only for high-end luxury and performance vehicles? Not necessary. Starting 20 years ago after stealing Peter Schreyer from the Volkswagen Group, Kia has quietly built an impressive portfolio of original award-winning automotive design. Tom Voelk travels to Milan, Italy for Design Week 2026 to show how the company is serious about staying true to its concept car designs. Kia’s Global Head of Design, Karim Habib (formerly of BMW, Infiniti and Mercedes Benz) offers interesting insight, stuff you may not have thought about when it comes to the way your car looks. Plus, a close look at the Vision Meta Turismo concept. Tom was attended a Hyundai/Kia event to produce this story. All editorial content is his own opinion. TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS BY CLICKING THE “BELL” BUTTON AFTER SUBSCRIBING! FOLLOW TOM VOELK ON TWITTER / X ►   / tomvoelk   About Tom: Tom Voelk is an award-winning automotive contributor to The New York Times. His podcast was the first to win an Emmy Award (and he's won for photography, editing, producing and reporting). 00:00 Kia Design with Karim Habib 00:45 Cars Need to Blend With the Environment 2:00 Concept vs Production Vehicles 3:02 EV2 Concept 3:25 Hyundai IONIQ 3 / Art of Steel Design 4:35 EV4 Concept 4:53 Kia Art Installation 5:30 Why There Are Studios All Over the World 6:30 What Designers Have to Design Around 8:10 EV5 Concept 8:40 Vision Meta Turismo Concept 10:02 How Expensive is Design 11:20 How Does an Automaker’s Location Effect Design 12:50 Summary