2024 Designer Disruptor of the Year
Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design
After a successful two-decade run as a designer at Daimler and BMW, Karim Habib took his talents first to Infiniti, then to Kia.
There, as executive vice president and head of Kia Global Design, he has been pushing the envelope and raising expectations since 2019, but never more than in 2023 and 2024.
"I am extremely happy that Kia is perceived as pushing the envelope when it comes to design, and believe it is essential for designers to consistently take creative risks. It is important for design to be an authentic representation of the product and the brand's values," Habib told Newsweek.
The company's heralded EV9 three-row, battery-electric SUV is a sleek blend of aerodynamics and technology. In addition to its cutting-edge design, it set the bar for a new level of sustainability within Kia when it debuted in early 2023.
Exterior elements from that model, and the sustainability focus, continued into the next round of vehicles to break cover. The two-row EV5 SUV is, in large part, a smaller EV9.
"Sustainability is at the core of Kia's vision for the future. It is essential for us as a company, and we want to build our culture with long-term sustainability in mind. Our responsibility toward nature and future generations is something we are very aware of," Habib said.
"We still have some way to go, but we aim to take every step forward with that responsibility in mind. Whether it's with our choice of materials or our development processes, we are working hard to improve, and challenge ourselves constantly to be better and more responsible."
Two new design model cars, the Concept EV3 small SUV and Concept EV4 sedan, push the traditional forms of transportation even further. Concept EV3 combines the best of Kia Niro and EV9 design into a form fitting for roads across the globe.
Concept EV4's robust but sleek exterior, side-situated headlights and sweeping roofline give it a shape unlike anything on the market. Unique wheel designs and a posterior that is a progression on that of the EV6 electric crossover help the model stand out.
The shapes and forms Habib and his team put forward are breaking long-held molds, spurred by the architecture opportunities new battery-electric vehicle platforms allow and Kia's commitment to creativity.
A walk through the rooms and halls of the company's design center reveals spaces filled with models, inspiration boards—both physical and digital—and a room featuring natural treatments of the future. Experimentation is key.
"I believe the role of a design leader in any big corporation today has several facets. Design leaders should create a culture that fosters creativity, innovation and 'failing forward.' They should encourage an open, collaborative and diverse culture, spread over multiple continents and markets," Habib said.
That doesn't mean leaving core values behind in the hunt for something unlike everything else on the market today just for the sake of disruption.
"It's important to develop a context-specific, user-centric mentality and to consistently design with usability in mind. A design leader should propose a vision or design philosophy that is both clear and flexible enough to allow for each individual team member to propose their own point of view," Habib said.
"Finally, understanding that every design decision is also a brand decision—and vice versa—is key. Design and brand should always speak the same language."
With a focus on digital technologies and fresh fibers, the customer experience is never far from the mind of Kia's design team.
"Our brand should be a symbol of innovation and progressive solutions. Design must make this visible at every touch point with our customers. I believe this is the right direction because we live in an era where creating a better future is a necessity. We must always aspire to do so with every product we make," Habib said.
How We Did It
To determine the candidates for this year's World's Greatest Auto Disruptors, Newsweek's Autos team, led by Senior Autos Editor Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, compiled a list considering every major automaker in each of the award categories. Brands, teams and individuals were nominated based on their cumulative merits for the past year, after combing through each candidate's accomplishments in the areas of future product planning, business strategy, technology, marketing, engineering, sustainability, manufacturing and research and development. To be considered, candidates had to be employing executive decision-making, corporate strategy, product development and publicity in a way that is driving fundamental, transformative change in the automotive market, with measurable real-world results—or have clear and demonstrable potential to do so. The Legacy award honors an individual who has achieved these results over decades in the industry. The list of nominees was narrowed by Autos editors, including Jake Lingeman. Winners were chosen after a consensus was reached amongst the Autos team and Newsweek top editors.
