Hyundai Wins Big: IONIQ 9 & INSTER Strike Gold at 2025 Awards

Hyundai’s design team must be running out of shelf space. The brand has just bagged two Australian Good Design Awards Golds — plus a special commendation — for its electric darlings, the IONIQ 9 and INSTER, cementing a golden streak now nine years long.

At the 2025 Australian Good Design Awards, Hyundai’s big, beautiful three-row IONIQ 9 and the city-sized INSTER both drove off with gold in the Automotive and Transport Product category, while the IONIQ 9 also nabbed a Best Exterior Design Commendation. For those keeping score, that’s nine years of consecutive wins, plus a growing global haul that includes Red Dot, iF Design and a World Electric Vehicle Award for INSTER.

“We’re delighted to see both our flagship IONIQ 9 and our compact INSTER recognised at such a prestigious event,” said Hyundai Motor Company Australia CEO Don Romano, no doubt smiling like a man who just found out his Tesla-owning neighbour’s power bill doubled. “These awards highlight Hyundai’s commitment to innovation and sustainable design leadership.”

The Good Design Awards Jury didn’t hold back their praise. The INSTER, Hyundai’s funky electric light SUV, was lauded as “a redefinition of urban mobility” with up to 360km range, 30-minute fast charging, and youthful styling that’s fun without being frivolous. The jury loved its flexible four-seat layout and folding interior that allows for more cargo space or even an overnight kip — ideal for when your date’s place turns out to be 200km away.

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ABOVE: Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Inster win design awards

Inside, the INSTER earned points for being futuristic but functional. It’s not overly fussy, just clean, smart, and packed with personality. The jury summed it up best: “Deserves its Australian Good Design Award Gold accolade.”

Meanwhile, the IONIQ 9 was described as a “game-changing, three-row electric SUV that sets the benchmark for comfort, features and capabilities.” Big words, but deserved ones. The judges adored its sleek aerodynamics, clever packaging, and the way it marries sustainable materials with AI voice recognition — all while carrying seven passengers in hushed, high-tech serenity.

“This is a refined and well-thought-through vehicle in all aspects,” the panel concluded. “The IONIQ 9 represents a fresh approach to luxury eSUV design.” Translation: it makes your neighbour’s German SUV look a bit… tired.

The Australian Good Design Awards are the nation’s highest honour for design and innovation, spanning everything from architecture to fashion. To win gold, entries must prove excellence in Good Design, Design Innovation, and Design Impact — no easy feat in a world where so many brands just stick LEDs on everything and call it “futuristic.”

For Hyundai, this latest success confirms that its IONIQ sub-brand isn’t just a passing trend — it’s design leadership in motion. From the spaceship-like IONIQ 5 to the coupe-slick IONIQ 6, and now the commanding 9, Hyundai continues to turn heads and shift perceptions of what an EV can be.

Hyundai: Good Design Awards History (Highlights)

2025: IONIQ 9 – Gold + Best Exterior Design Commendation
2025: INSTER – Gold
2024: IONIQ 5 N, SANTA FE – Winners
2023: KONA, IONIQ 6 – Winners
2022: STARIA, i30 Sedan N – Gold
2021: IONIQ 5, NEXO – Gold
2019: KONA Electric – Best in Class

Nine years of wins, countless trophies, and enough design gold to make Midas blush. Hyundai’s on a roll — and for once, it’s not down a hill in Neutral.

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