Karim Antoine Habib (born 1970) is a Lebanese automotive designer. He is currently the executive vice president and head of Kia global design for the Korean vehicle manufacturer

Kia Kia Corporation (, formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry (京城精密工業) and Kia Motors Corporation) is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second larges ...

. He previously worked for

BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...

and

Infiniti (stylized in all caps) is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. The brand began on November 8, 1989, initially in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in the 201 ...

. He is fluent in Arabic, English, French, German, and Italian.

Career

Born in

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, Habib had to leave the country due to the ensueing

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

and moved to Canada in his teenage years, and was educated at

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

, as well as Transportation Design at the

Art Center College of Design The ArtCenter College of Design is a private art college in Pasadena, California. It was incorporated in 1930 as a degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual arts and design. ...

. In 1998, he was hired by BMW. He got his first break at BMW designing the interior of the E60 5 Series. Later he designed the exterior of the BMW 7 Series F01. He left to work for

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

in 2009 for a few years and came back to BMW in 2011 as exterior designer until January 2017. He started employment with Infiniti in July 2017 and left the company in August 2019, being replaced by Taisuke Nakamura. In September 2019, Habib joined

as Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Design Center.

Notable works

* Mercedes-Benz F800 * BMW CS Concept * BMW 7 Series (F01) *

BMW 7 Series (G11) The sixth generation of the BMW 7 Series consists of the BMW G11 (short-wheelbase version) and BMW G12 (long-wheelbase version) Luxury vehicle#Luxury saloon / full-size luxury sedan, luxury saloons. The G11/G12 generation was produced by BMW from ...

BMW X6 The BMW X6 is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV by German automaker BMW. The BMW X6 is the originator of the sports activity coupé (SAC), referencing its sloping rear roof design. It combines the attributes of an SUV (high ground clearance, al ...

BMW X3 The BMW X3 is an SUV manufactured by BMW since 2003, based on the BMW 3 Series platform. BMW markets the car as a ''Sports Activity Vehicle'', the company's proprietary descriptor for its X-line luxury vehicles. The first-generation X3 was des ...

BMW 5 Series (E60) The fifth generation of the BMW 5 Series executive cars consists of the BMW E60 (saloon version) and BMW E61 (wagon version, marketed as 'Touring'). The E60/E61 generation was produced by BMW from 2003 to 2010 and is often collectively referre ...

(interior) * Infiniti Q Inspiration Concept *

Kia Sorento The Kia Sorento () is a series of two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive family SUVs manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 2002 through four generations. Initially a compact SUV built on a body-on-frame chassis, the second-g ...

(MQ4) * Kia Optima/K5 (DL3) *

Kia Carnival The Kia Carnival () is a minivan manufactured by Kia since 1998. It is marketed globally under various nameplates, prominently as the Kia Sedona. The first-generation Carnival was introduced in January 1998, and was marketed in a single, shor ...

(KA4) *

Kia EV6 The Kia EV6 () is a battery electric compact crossover SUV produced by Kia. Introduced in March 2021, it is the first Kia dedicated electric vehicle, and the first model developed on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) similar to t ...

(CV) *

Kia EV9 The Kia EV9 () is an battery electric mid-size crossover SUV produced by Kia. It is the second Kia model developed on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and the second model in the manufacturer's "EV" electric car range after the ...

(MV) *

Kia Sonet The Kia Sonet is a subcompact crossover SUV manufactured by Kia since 2020. Positioned below the Kia Seltos, Seltos and closely related to the similarly sized sibling Hyundai Venue, it is sold in emerging markets, including Asia, Africa, the Mid ...

(QY) *

Kia Carens The Kia Carens () is a C-segment, compact car (C-segment) manufactured by Kia since 1999, spanning over four generations, and was marketed worldwide under various nameplates, prominently as the Kia Rondo. The initial three generations had a comp ...

(KY) *

Kia K8 The Kia K8 is an executive car manufactured by Kia. Based on the Hyundai Grandeur, it is internally designated, ‘GL3’. Replacing the K7/Cadenza, it was released in April 2021 in South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of K ...

(GL3) *

Kia K4 (2024) The Kia K4 is a compact car manufactured by South Korean automaker Kia. It was introduced in March 2024 as a replacement for the Forte/K3/ Cerato, while the K3 nameplate was transferred to a subcompact car. The car was first introduced on 21 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Habib, Karim 1970 births Canadian people of Lebanese descent BMW designers McGill University alumni Canadian expatriates in Germany Living people