Hyundai Motor Group, the world’s sixth-largest automotive conglomerate, said Wednesday its new Genesis premium sedan and the second generation Soul boxy compact received international design awards ahead of their European launch in the first half of 2014.

The group said the Genesis made by Hyundai Motor Co. and Soul produced by sister company Kia Motors Corp. were named product design winners in the transportation segment at the 2014 International Forum Design Award (iF) event in Germany.

“The iF ranks along with the Red Dot and IDEA as one of the top three product design awards in the world, and the latest recognition shows that the two cars have the styling excellence to compete with the best in Europe,” Hyundai said in a press release.

It said recognition given to the Genesis is noteworthy because it marks the first time that a South Korean full-size car has received the award.

Unlike the first generation Genesis that was not marketed in Europe, Hyundai plans to ship the car to the continent this time around.

The car unveiled late last year is the first example of the so-called “Fluidic Sculpture 2.0” design language by Hyundai. The design philosophy is expected to be repeated on all future Hyundai badged cars with the next vehicle to showcase such lines being the mid-size So nata sedan.

The Soul’s triumph makes it the fifth year in a row that the car, which has come to dominate the boxy vehicle segment in North America, grabbed the award.

Kia’s models such as the Venga, Optima, Sportage R, Picanto and Pro-cee’d have repeatedly won iF design awards in the past several years that have contributed to the carmaker’s image in Europe. (Yonhap)