Kia design chief honoured

Peter Schreyer was awarded the Golden Steering Wheel for creating Kia's distinctive design style.

The man who revitalised Kia and turned the Korean brand into a style guide, designer Peter Schreyer, has been honoured with an international award.

Schreyer, now the chief design officer for Hyundai-Kia Motor Group, has won the 2013 Golden Steering Wheel awards by Bild am Sonntag and AutoBild for outstanding achievements.

He is only the second designer to receive this coveted industry award.

The designer was responsible for creating Kia's distinctive, multiple-award winning design language, and his "Tiger Nose" - the signature Kia radiator grille - has since become a striking brand feature.

Bavarian-born Schreyer has been chief design officer at Kia Motors since 2006 and was appointed president of all Hyundai-Kia design centres at the beginning of this year.

With overall design responsibility for the world's fifth-largest car manufacturer, he is only the second designer in the 31-year history of the Golden Steering Wheel to receive the award. Giorgetto Giugiaro received it in 1995.

The most recent recipients of the award include Ferdinand Piech, chairman of the Volkswagen Supervisory Board (2012), Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Company (2011) and Norbert Reithofer, CEO of BMW (2010).

The official presentation ceremony is to take place in Berlin today.

"I am exceedingly proud to receive this important award," Schreyer said.

"It is a great honour for me personally, and at the same time it is recognition for our design teams all around the world who for years have been delivering such excellent work."