Kia Niro PHEV wins prestigious design award
The Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) has been recognised with a Red Dot Design Award for “Product Design”.
The prestigious Red Dot Award is one of the most highly sought-after seals of approval for design quality. The prize is judged by a panel of experts, who cast their eye over submissions from all industries for design quality and innovation.
This award is a huge nod to the brand's commitment to designing innovative, high-quality vehicles. They meet everyday needs while staying at the forefront of cutting-edge design.
The Niro PHEV features an emotional yet rational design aesthetic, guided by Kia's new 'Opposites United' design ethos. The purposeful and head-turning look was designed to inspire movement.
Notable design features include angular 'Heartbeat' daytime running lights, and a bold skid plate and cladding to enhance the electrified Crossover's rugged stance.
Kia Niro Family
The Niro family has three electrified powertrain options: the Niro HEV, Niro PHEV, and Niro EV.
The hybrid Niro uses a 1.32 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery and electric motor to work alongside the 1.6-litre petrol engine to assist acceleration and help improve fuel economy.
The bigger battery (11.1 kWh) in the PHEV requires the car to be plugged in to be charged. It is located under the boot floor so it doesn't affect cabin space for passengers. The Niro PHEV can travel up to 40 miles on pure electric power alone.
The Niro EV has a powerful 64.8 kWh lithium-ion battery that can achieve 201bhp and up to 285 miles of emissions free electric driving from a single charge. It's the ideal family car for those longer journeys. .
The new Niro has been a very popular choice with drivers since it was launched in the summer of 2022. The award-winning design and choice of three eco-friendly versions has meant the Niro is Kia's second best-selling model in the UK.
It was named as the 'Best Crossover' at the 2023 UK Car of the Year Awards and 'Car of the Year 2023' by Carbuyer. It also recently finished among the top three finalists for the highly coveted World Car of the Year Award.
Kia recently posted record sales figures for the start of 2023. The quality and design of its electrified line-up of cars was a huge contributing factor.
More than 20% of the 19,703 Kia cars sold in March were HEVs. Meanwhile the 2,263 was the most number of PHEVs sold in a single business quarter.
All three variations of the Niro feature further environmentally friendly interior materials. These range from vegan leather seat coverings that come from Eucalyptus trees, to recycled wallpaper of all things, in the headline. In addition, the cargo screen contains 75% recycled fibres.
Sjoerd Knipping is the Vice President of Marketing and Product for Kia Europe and was delighted with the win. “This is a testament to the hard work of our design and engineering teams,” he said, “as well as the winning nature of our guiding philosophy.
“We are honoured to be recognised by the Red Dot Design Award for our efforts, and we look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of automotive design.”
This achievement is the latest in a long line of Red Dot Design Awards for Kia. It is the 28th awarded to a Kia model since 2009.
Last year, it was the pioneering Kia EV6 that was crowned 'Best of the Best' for its futuristic design. The seven-seat Kia Sorento SUV also collected a Red Dot Award for its product design back in 2021.
All new Kia cars come with the industry-leading 7-year warranty plan.
