Exclusive interview: Karim Habib, EVP and head of Kia design
Kia is on an undoubted roll at present and head of design Karim Habib has been instrumental in its latest phase
The softly-spoken, Lebanese-born, Canadian-raised 53-year old made his name in the early 00s at BMW – including the 2007 CS concept which previewed the 7 Series Mk5 – and briefly joined Daimler in 2009, before rejoining BMW as head of exteriors and then becoming design director. He moved to Infiniti design in January 2017, creating various acclaimed Q Inspiration concepts, before swiftly progressing to Kia in October 2019.
In 2023 his first Kia production car – the EV9 – broke cover. Car Design News has caught up with him twice this year already, most recently at Milan Design Week and here are the highlights of those conversations, covering AI, digital assistants, Chinese rivals, art installations and designer sofas…
Despite recently moving back to Frankfurt with your family, does your Kia job feel like ‘a keeper’ after three and a half years in the post?
Indeed. I think you can see in the products we do, what’s fascinating about this company is the ‘voice of design’. It’s not necessarily about being louder, but design is understood more as a decision-making and company strategy tool. We’re involved in ‘production definition’ more than I’ve ever been in the past and we’ve managed to create things which I really feel can move the brand forward.
There’s an angularity coming into Kia’s design which is interesting…
Yes. There have been a lot of questions about the EV6 and EV9 seeming so different, but to me the new stuff [not yet shown to the public but which Car Design News has seen] is a bridge between the two.
I know the EV6 was created before you arrived but do you think it could soon fall into the trap of standing apart, from a customer perspective?
I don’t think so, because it has the same principles and there are quite of lot of contrasts. You have this beautiful muscular side and at the same time the Kamm tail and sectioned-off corners. But we will update it to make sure it fits within the bandwidth [of Kia’s new EVs].
With the Chinese market trend of almost annual design updates, is Kia looking to do something different? Perhaps more longevity in hardware and exterior, and more updates in software and interiors?
It’s both. We move fast but I don’t think we’re going to accelerate. It’s not that we’re looking for longevity, but we understand that cosmetic updates might not be enough in the future. Updating visually is important, but also in terms of software, over the air updates and screens. There is a lot of good thinking in China in terms of customer focus, branding and design. We have to keep upping our game, expand on that and be examples to follow.
Talking philosophically, isn’t the idea of endlessly changing your product physically – either from customer or internal pressure – a bit silly, when updates could be more digital and thus more sustainable?
Honestly, it’s a tough question, as in principle you’re absolutely right. The question is, ‘where do you draw the line?’ My perspective is that we’re lucky enough to have a company that invests in technology consistently, so we try to use that as a driver for the changes we make and integrate our new [environmental] ‘must-haves’. So even if we do remanufacture certain things, we do so with principles we feel we need to pursue – sustainability, recyclability and to a certain extent, circularity.
Will some of the EV9’s ‘must-haves’ filter through to your regular cars?
Yes, on every car, but it’s never a given. On every model we have to fight for them as there are costs involved. But logically the more we do, the more suppliers work towards them too and the economies of scale are made.
Are you ‘loss-leading’ these green ‘must-haves’ for now, or are the costs passed directly to the customer?
It’s a tough one, we definitely communicate these things and are working on a logo with a QR code so you can trace the material process. We’re trying to be as transparent as possible. We never talk about being that great, but we’re in the process, otherwise it’s ‘greenwashing’. For the early adopters we want to attract to our brand, we think those ‘must-haves’ are important.
In my view, AI won’t be reducing our staff any time soon
How do you work with Hyundai Motor Group’s chief creative officer Luc Donckerwolke?
I didn’t know Luc before coming here, but he’s a gracious person and has done a lot of incredible stuff. Luc does not get involved in the actual designing of things, but what he’s great at, is making me understand better how to get to certain things. He’s got a keen understanding of how to place something strategically.
You mean how to sell an idea internally within the company?
Exactly, certain technologies and how to get parts of the company to work with us, that kind of stuff.
How do you work with Hyundai and Genesis boss SangYup Lee?
Every few months we visit each other’s studios, just him, me, Simon Loasby, [Hyundai Style] Teck-Koun Kim [advanced design] and Jochen Paesen [interior design]. It’s not a big group. We benefit from economies of scale when it comes to human machine interface (HMI), screens, graphical user interface (GUI) and try to work together as intensively as we can, as that is a big issue. If we work well together on those areas – by agreeing on the things that we can ‘commonise’ for cost-saving – we can move a lot of things. But in terms of GUI differentiation, we need to get better. That’s an area where we’re putting in a lot of energy.
The EV9 SUV is impressive, but massive and expensive. Where are the new smaller and cheaper products more associated with the Kia brand?
We are working on them. The company is at a point where it’s found ways to do that with a good business case. I think you’ll see some things in that direction pretty soon.
How many staff are in your design team and do you think AI will reduce that number in a short time period?
We have about 400 globally, but honestly I cannot answer your question. I do not have the knowledge to base my answer on facts. In my view, AI won’t be reducing our staff any time soon.
To take another example, digital modelling and VR reviews have reduced the number of physical models made. That must have had a staffing effect in the last five to ten years?
I guess if you’re counting man-hours and cost, maybe. In Korea we have not reduced the amount of clay modellers, but we’re shifting the load. We do much more digital work but are also milling many more models and constantly updating them. Clay models are less like sculptures now, that’s true. But those staff numbers have not really reduced.
Digital design staff numbers have definitely increased a lot, but we use 1:25 scale models within our future design team, as we realise young designers have very little experience with clay. We brought in ‘scale’ again to make sure we don’t lose that skill. Will it be the same with AI? Maybe. We’re experimenting with wheel designs, but none have made it into production. It’s a matter of time I’m sure. My point of view is that AI will definitely change how we work. It’s going to be an extra companion – or ‘additional employees’ in a way – but to what extent it will take over, I don’t know.
I met Giugiaro a few months ago when he came to Korea – what a gentleman and a cool guy – it was just wonderful. He designed the early-60s Alfa Giulia GT when he was 21, still in the military service. That car has such elegance
What do you think of the recent ‘digital companions’ from Nio, BMW, Mini and others. Are you looking into them and if not, why not?
I think a digital companion is important, but I don’t think we need to create new friends for our customers, I think most people are okay with the friends they have [he chuckles]. My eldest daughter is 11 and always uses [Apple’s voice assistant] Siri. Before she would ask Siri silly questions and have fun with it, but she’s way past that now. So we’re not going to ask customers – adults driving our cars – to have a funny conversation.
Of course, but most digital assistants are just anthropomorphisms of satnav systems. Nio’s dashboard digital face is deemed by some as a mini-USP and Mini has debuted its new digital bulldog character, so I just wondered whether you were investigating it at Kia?
No, honestly, our plan is just to have some sort of visual reference to confirm that the car is working on something, or has understood your request. It would not be some kind of character.
Is it the first time Kia has exhibited at Milan Design Week and if so, why now?
I think it is our first time and we pushed for it, but it’s been building. We started at the Guangzhou design Biennale a few years back, then in Seoul at the [Zaha Hadid-designed] DDP building and at the 2022 Seoul and Busan motorshows. So it’s expanded into what it is now. It just seemed like a natural place to be. Kia has a very strong position in Korea, but in Europe and the US it’s different. So we wanted to come to Europe to talk about our design philosophy ‘Opposites United’.
What do you think the car design industry needs to do better?
A lot. We have to double-down on our drive towards sustainability, to make sure we don’t lose track. We have a relationship with autonomous driving that has been up and down but having such vehicles will improve our lives in general. The integration of personal and public transport, and finding systems where they can build on each other, is also something we need to work on.
In your view, which brands beyond your group are doing a good job?
Thomas Ingenlath and Polestar is doing a pretty good job. What I admire is not just the cars, but the complete holistic view; Thomas considers things from every aspect. It’s nice to see that voice being so clear and so well articulated, that’s what I appreciate.
Maurer had a very poetic way of working with lighting. And as you know, I’m a wannabe chair designer, so I look at chairs
What car did you wish you’d designed?
I met Giugiaro a few months ago when he came to Korea – what a gentleman and a cool guy – it was just wonderful. He designed the early-60s Alfa Giulia GT when he was 21, still in the military service. That car has such elegance.
…and one you’re glad you didn’t?
A ‘wish I hadn’t’ or ‘glad I didn’t’? [again he chuckles, while the head of global PR advises him he doesn’t have to answer]…
It’s always good to choose a dead brand as they can’t answer back…
No, I’m not going to dance on their grave.
That’s gentlemanly of you. What’s on your Milan Design Week visit list?
A friend of mine is a designer for [the late] Ingo Maurer so I’d like to go see their latest installation. Maurer had a very poetic way of working with lighting. And as you know, I’m a wannabe chair designer, so I look at chairs.
I was going to talk about your ‘chair situation’. How is it?
I recently bought two [1930s reissues] by Rietveld, the classic couch-y ones. When I saw them in the showroom they looked so big, but when I brought them home, compared to today’s couches, or one we bought ten years ago which is so deep, these chairs seemed so small. It made me realise how even [modern] furniture is growing in size. These are so basic but so nice.
Where do you see Kia in five to ten years’ time and are you aiming to be there to see it?
[Laughs] I guess I would like that, but it’s not all in my hands. I’ll do my best to still be here. I would like Kia to be an aspirational brand, that people go to because they feel compelled by our products and the values we stand for. I would also like Kia to be considered as one of the industry’s mentors, known for the quality of our designs, but also a mentor for design in general.
