Hyundai Motor’s Global Design Head SangYup Lee Receives FAI Grand Prize of Design

 Hyundai Motor Company announced today that SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Global Design Center, is the recipient of the coveted Grand Prize of Design at the 36th edition of Festival Automobile International (FAI).

“It is a great honor to receive this Grand Prize,” said Senior Vice President Lee. “I believe that our duty is to work for a better future and help Hyundai to be recognized through design that is tailored to the needs of our customer’s lifestyles and their valuable time. I would like to share this glory with all my mentors and colleagues who have adopted me as a family throughout my career.”

Since joining Hyundai Motor in 2016, Lee has successfully shaped the company’s design strategies and direction, leveraging over 20 years of extensive experience with world-renowned luxury auto brands. He assumed the role of Hyundai Global Design Center Head in 2018 and has since led the development of several award-winning works, including Hyundai’s latest EV concept, ‘Prophecy’.

“Every year, the Jury chooses a designer for the Grand Prize of Design. This year, the entire member voted for SangYup Lee and recognized his wonderful work,” said a FAI official. “The recognition is especially given for his contribution to Hyundai Prophecy’s aesthetic beauty and purity.”

The Prophecy, which was unveiled in March 2020, is Hyundai’s visionary EV concept that expresses the company’s latest design identity, Sensuous Sportiness. Prophecy has received accolades from various global design competitions, including 2020 Red Dot Awards, 2020 International Design Excellence Awards, and 2020 GOOD DESIGN Awards.

Celebrating its 36th anniversary, FAI is an institution in the world of automotive design. The Grand Prize of Design is given to a designer or company for its global strategy of innovation or pursuit of beauty. Past winners include legendary automotive designers such as Ian Callum, Jaguar's former Head of Design, and Peter Schreyer, Hyundai Motor Group's President of Design Management.