Cars & Autos | Wednesday 5 December, 2018 5:00 am |

Three talented ladies have won brand-new cars in a contest held by Hyundai to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s female motorists.

The KONA Color Drive competition invited women to create customized exterior designs for the stylish sub-compact SUV.

“To celebrate the recent ruling that permits women in the Kingdom to drive, Hyundai decided to work with its official distributors in Dammam, Jeddah, and Riyadh to give away a brand-new car,” said Mike Song, head of Hyundai Middle East and Africa.

“We received many wonderful entries and wish to thank everyone who took the time to produce them, plus the distributors whose support helped to make this promotion such a remarkable success. The Kingdom is clearly awash with artistic talent.”

The Hyundai KONA is a stylish premium sub-compact SUV that was launched in the Saudi market earlier this year. For their chance to win one, women logged into a campaign microsite equipped with digital ‘paint’ and graphic design tools. After viewing a short video highlighting the KONA’s key features, entrants were tasked with flexing their creative muscles to come up with a colorful bodywork look by selecting shades, special effects, and various pen, brush, and spray tools. Entries were shortlisted by Hyundai product design experts, who deferred to the marque’s three official distributors to make the final decision. They looked for designs that were creative and well balanced, and their adaptability to the 3D KONA bodywork.

Salma Ahmad Mahmoud, the overall winner, was handed keys to her all-new KONA. The Saudi national, who lives in Jeddah, impressed the judges with her red and black design, its boldness softened with a white floral pattern. The first runner-up was fellow Saudi national Sara Ahmed, from Dammam. Her feminine entry featured an ombre-effect background of pinks and purples adorned with geometric patterns. Also opting for a girly theme, this time rose and white, was Riyadh resident Hajer Al Hanini.

Sara and Hajer received 25 and 10 percent respectively off the price of a new KONA, or equivalent-value discount off a different Hyundai model of their choice. All three winners will be honored on December 23 in a ceremony at Park Hyatt Jeddah’s Lazurde Ballroom. There, they will see cars wrapped in their designs and be presented with their prizes. Each finalist’s work is also on display at her respective region’s showroom and all will be exhibited at Saudi International Motor Show, which runs from December 16 to 20 at Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events.

The campaign ran from September 23 to November 25. More than 230,000 people visited the competition web pages and 6,134 from across the Kingdom submitted artwork.

FASHION-FORWARD

Hyundai’s all-new KONA is worthy of the catwalk, combining style and performance into one sleek, sculpted package. Buyers have 11 exterior shades from which to choose, including Acid Yellow, Tangerine Comet, Pulse Red, and Blue Lagoon. Its two-tone roof and exterior mirrors also come in a variety of hues, offering further potential for personalization. Wheels options include 16-inch steel or 16-, 17-, or 18-inch alloys.

The driving experience is enhanced by innovative technology. Hyundai’s new head-up display helps occupants stay safe by projecting important information such as speed, navigation commands, and warnings right into the driver’s line of sight.

The Saudi range also offers features tailored to the Kingdom’s new generation of female drivers, such as an optional Abaya Alert function that warns ladies when their clothing becomes caught in the door.

KONA also offers a segment-leading selection of safety technology, including advanced driver assistance and accident avoidance features, and seamless convenience and connectivity tech that makes life easier. Its premium sound system from KRELL delivers stellar acoustic performance. There is also an optional eight-inch touch-screen display that is enabled for Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™