Hyundai Motor Group wins 16 awards at 2026 IDEA Design Awards

Hyundai Motor Group won a total of 16 awards at the 2026 IDEA Design Awards, organized by the Industrial Designers Society of America, the group announced Thursday.

The group took home two gold, one silver, three bronze and 10 merit awards, again demonstrating its global design competitiveness.

Hyundai Motor's "E3W & E4W Micro Mobility Concept" claimed gold in the concept and advanced design category, while the "Nao Restaurant Book" from Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) earned gold in the branding category.

First unveiled last year, the E3W & E4W Micro Mobility Concept reimagines the motor rickshaw — a common mode of transport in India — as a next-generation electrification platform. Its compact body suited to India's congested urban environments, flexible seating arrangements and efficient use of space allow it to serve not only passenger transport but also logistics and emergency support.

The Nao Restaurant Book documents the brand philosophy and origins of Nao, a Korean restaurant inside HMGICS. The work earned recognition for excellence in brand storytelling through its collaboration with three-Michelin-star chef Corey Lee, its connections with Korean artisans, and its refined expression of Korean culture and contemporary aesthetics.

The Genesis high-performance concept model "Magma GT Concept" won a silver award in the automotive and transportation category.

The Magma GT Concept represents the pinnacle of the brand's performance vision of "luxury high performance." Its low, wide body and elongated roofline create a commanding presence, while its mid-ship-based proportions and aerodynamic design — stripped of unnecessary elements and optimized for performance — give visual expression to Genesis's performance philosophy.

Also earning bronze in the branding category were the "Hyundai Heritage Stellar & Sonata Retrace Magazine," a heritage brand content project illuminating memories shared between cars and customers, and "Hope on Wheels," a global pediatric cancer support campaign that has helped spread the social values of care and hope.

Kia's "PV5 Infotainment System," a dedicated infotainment system for its purpose-built vehicle, took bronze in the digital interaction category.

Hyundai Motor collected additional merit awards across six categories: "UX Studio Seoul" won in both the service design and environments categories; "Nao Restaurant Branding" won in branding; "Hyundai Employee ID Card Case" won in office and accessories; "Mobile Nap" won in concept and advanced design; "Furnished Lounge & Hyundai Ad Gear" won in furniture and lighting; and MoBeD won in commercial and industrial products.

Kia's global campaign "Kia x The Ocean Cleanup: Together We Make Waves" was selected for a merit award in the social impact design category.

Genesis placed two entries on the merit list: the "G90 Wingback Concept" in the automotive and transportation category, and "Magma UI Design" in the digital interaction category.

"This recognition proves Hyundai Motor Group's design competitiveness, which extends beyond product design to encompass brand experience, digital interfaces, spaces, services and social values," a group spokesperson said. "We will continue to present innovative designs that enrich customers' lives and point the way toward a sustainable future."

The IDEA Design Awards, held annually since 1980 by IDSA, is considered one of the world's three most prestigious design competitions alongside Germany's iF Design Award and Red Dot Design Award. It evaluates entries across a range of criteria including design innovation, user benefit and social responsibility.