• 29-MAY-2014

Hey good looking; Style and function highlight pro_cee'd GT Good Design Award

Kia's stunning pro_cee'd GT has stepped up to the mark to win an Australian Good Design Award in front of international design glitterati at a gala event in Sydney.

Having been elevated to the finals through the initial judging three weeks earlier, the stylishly eye-catching pro_cee'd GT took the next step by winning one of only two Good Design Awards allocated to mainstream cars.

The judges were taken by the pro_cee'd GT's sharp styling _ "the designers have found an elegant balance between beauty and aggression in the overall styling, the end result is a car that looks fast even when standing still" _ its functionality _ "this car easily lives up to the GT nameplate, performance and handling is spot on for a car of this size and market positioning" _ and its quality _ "fit, finish and materials (both interior and exterior) exceed expectations".

And a final accolade, not just for the pro_cee'd GT but for the brand: "Kia just keeps getting better and better at design – love this car."

The 1.6-litre turbo, 150kW, 265Nm pro_cee'd GT was penned at Kia's European Design Centre in Frankfurt under the guidance of head of design Peter Schreyer and is manufactured at the Zilina plant in Slovakia. Australia is the only market outside of Europe to have access to the pro_cee'd GT. It is available from $29,990 rrp.

The Good Design Awards is Australia's longest standing national design award and promotion program, and one of the few forums for professional Industrial Designers and manufacturers to showcase their design expertise to national and international audiences.

As a result of more than 50 years of design benchmarking, the program has focused on progressively raising the standard of design and innovation in Australia.

Today, the Good Design Awards are highly regarded by business, industry, academia and government for their important role in setting a benchmark for the design profession and for driving competitiveness in Australian business. Internationally, the program is respected for its rigorous design assessment process.