Why would India notice Kia before it had even shown a car?

Kia’s road into India wasn’t paved yet. For years, just four incumbents had dominated the market, and new entrants rarely found room. Rivals like MG were already gathering pre-launch bookings months in advance. Kia, meanwhile, hadn’t even chosen which car to lead with, and confusion around its relationship with Hyundai made the story fuzzier still. To build belief, prospective dealers had to see promise before product. And buyers had to keep space open on their shortlist for a brand they’d never seen on the road.

Kia wanted to lead with design. But in India, “design” had become predictable: all chrome highlights, sculpted lines, and plush interiors. To make design mean something again, Kia needed a new vocabulary. We found it in Peter Schreyer’s philosophy- a way of seeing the world where inspiration came from everywhere: music, architecture, nature, light.