Chevy, Kia, Nissan, VW Models Deemed Best-in-Show Detroit Designs

Nissan and its Kia affiliate swept the car category for this year’s EyesOn Design Awards at the Detroit auto show with the VMotion 2.0 concept and Stinger sports sedan, respectively. The truck awards for design went to the Chevrolet Traverse crossover and Volkswagen I.D. Buzz concept.

Designed at Kia’s European studio, the five-passenger Stinger (right) is described as a “true gran turismo for spirited long-distance driving.” The car’s extended hood and a fastback create a sense of forward motion even while it's standing still. The model will go on sale late this year.

Nissan's Vmotion, so named because of its V-shaped grille, sports a glass roof and boomerang-shaped tail lamps. Media reports speculate the concept could morph into the next-generation Altima midsize sedan.

The redesigned Chevy Traverse features flared fenders and a wraparound rear window. The 2018 midsize model will bow late this year.

The I.D. Buzz (left) updates last year’s
Budd-e c concept as VW’s latest take on a potential successor to the brand’s iconic microbus. Contrasting the vehicle’s retro-look, the new concept features a flexible interior along with an electric powertrain and autonomous driving capability.

The full list of EyesOn Design winners are:

• Production car: Kia Stinger
• Concept car: Nissan VMotion 2.0
• Production truck: Chevrolet Traverse
• Concept truck: Volkswagen I.D. Buzz
• Interior: Lexus LS
• User experience: BMW 5 Series
• Innovative use of colors, graphics and materials: Nisan VMotion
• Lifetime Achievement: Syd Mead
• Designer Catalyst: John Reinhardt 

After starting his career at Ford, Mead went on to create futuristic vehicles for several movies, including Blade Runner, Star Treck and Tron. Reinhart, who worked for Packard, Ford, U.S. Steel and England's Rootes Group, penned the 1951 Packard and 1957 Lincoln Continental Mark II.

EyesOn Design was established in 1987. Award winners are selected by an international panel of designers.