Karim Antoine Habib (born 1970) is a Canadian automotive designer of Lebanese descent, currently Executive Vice President and Head of Kia global design for the Korean vehicle manufacturer

Kia Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...

. He previously worked for BMW and

Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in ...

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

Career

Born in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

, Habib had to leave the country due to the ensueing

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same 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 ...

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

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

, as well as Transportation Design at the

Art Center College of Design Art Center College of Design (stylized as ArtCenter College of Design) is a private art college in Pasadena, California. History ArtCenter College of Design was founded in 1930 in downtown Los Angeles as the Art Center School. In 1935, Fred R. ...

. 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 as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...

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 The Mercedes-Benz F800 Style is a concept car made by the German brand Mercedes-Benz and first shown at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. It was a preview to the second generation Mercedes-Benz CLS. Overview The F800 Style is a 5-seat executive saloon ...

* BMW CS Concept *

BMW 7 Series (F01) The fifth generation of the BMW 7 Series consists of the BMW F01 (sedan version) and BMW F02 (long-wheelbase sedan version) full-size luxury sedans. The F01/F02 generation was produced by BMW from 2008 to 2015 and is often collectively referred ...

BMW 7 Series (G11) The sixth generation of the BMW 7 Series consists of the BMW G11 (normal version) and BMW G12 (long-wheelbase version) luxury saloons. The G11/G12 generation has been produced by BMW since 2015, and is often collectively referred to as the G11. ...

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, all- ...

BMW X3 The BMW X3 is a compact luxury crossover SUV manufactured by BMW since 2003, based on the BMW 3 Series platform. Now in its third generation, BMW markets the car as a ''Sports Activity Vehicle'', the company's proprietary descriptor for its X- ...

BMW 5 Series (E60) The fifth generation of the BMW 5 Series executive cars consists of the BMW E60 (sedan 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 referred ...

(interior) * Infiniti Q Inspiration Concept *

Kia Sorento The Kia Sorento ( ko, 기아 쏘렌토, translit=Gia Sorento) is a mid-size crossover SUV (formerly a body-on-frame SUV until 2009) produced since 2002 by South Korean manufacturer Kia. First generation (BL; 2002) 2002–2006 Debuted in ...

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

Kia Carnival The Kia Carnival ( ko, 기아 카니발) is a minivan manufactured by Kia since 1998. It is marketed globally under various nameplates — prominently as the Kia Sedona — which is now unused in favor of the Carnival. The first generati ...

(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 the Hyun ...

Kia Sonet The Kia Sonet is a subcompact crossover SUV manufactured by Kia since 2020. Developed mainly for the Indian market, the Sonet is positioned below the Seltos and is closely related to the similarly-sized sibling Hyundai Venue. It is marketed in e ...

(QY) *

Kia Carens The Kia Carens ( ko, 기아 카렌스) is a car 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 compact MPV bo ...

(KY) *

Kia K8 The Kia K8 is a full-size sedan manufactured by Kia. Replacing the K7/Cadenza, it was released in April 2021 in South Korea. Overview The Kia K8 was first offered for sale on 8 April 2021 with an online launch. Pictures of the K8 were r ...

(GL3)

References

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