Kia chief honoured at 2025 Autocar Awards

LONDON: Kia Corp president and CEO Ho Sung Song has been honoured with the prestigious Issigonis Trophy at the 2025 Autocar Awards.

Named after the legendary automotive designer and inventor Sir Alec Issigonis, the Trophy is Autocar’s most prestigious award.

Presented annually, it recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution to the automotive industry through innovation, leadership and exceptional business performance.

Autocar editor Mark Tisshaw commented, “He has championed great design and improved branding and confronted the challenge of electrification by making ever better and ever more desirable cars that are among the industry's very best.”

Song remarked, “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Autocar team for this recognition — not just of me, but of the incredible Kia team worldwide, whose dedication and belief in our mission continue to drive the brand forward.”

Since his appointment as president of Kia in 2020, Song has led a successful transformation of the company.

Under his leadership, Kia’s mid- to long-term ‘Plan S’ strategy has progressively positioned the brand as a global leader in electrification and sustainable mobility solutions.

A key part of this transformation has been the global roll-out of Kia’s new brand identity and the launch of an award-winning range of hybrid and electric vehicles.

These include the Kia EV9, named World Car of the Year in 2024, and the EV3, which was awarded both World Car of the Year and UK Car of the Year in 2025.

Kia has also taken a pioneering approach to the commercial vehicle market with its revolutionary Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) strategy, a core element of ‘Plan S’.

In 2024, Kia unveiled its PBV concept range at CES in Las Vegas and announced the development of a dedicated PBV factory in Korea.

Built for business, Kia’s first dedicated all electric commercial vehicle, the PV5, is planned to launch in global markets this year.

Kia plans to sell 250,000 PBVs globally in 2030.