New Holland has been awarded the iF Design Award for 2026, granted to the advanced Hybrid Telehandler prototype that made its world debut at Agritechnica 2025.
iF Design was founded in 1953, and one year later the inaugural iF Design Award, now one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious design prizes, was given for the first time as a symbol of outstanding design.
Organised by the German-based iF International Forum Design, several thousand global professionals and businesses enter the award annually, submitting work for evaluation by an independent panel of experts.
From the almost 5,000 companies that participated, entering over 10,000 items into the internationally-recognized iF scheme, the New Holland Hybrid Telehandler was picked as the winner.
It was chosen by the judges for its unique form, function, and differentiation that it possessed over standard machines.
According to the manufacturers, the Hybrid Telehandler prototype integrates innovative hybrid propulsion technology, using both electric drive and compressed natural gas as power sources to minimise emissions and maximise autonomy.
Giampiero Vietti, senior designer at CNH said: “New Holland places great importance on purposeful design with practical benefits for customers, and the Hybrid Telehandler concept is a true example of that.”
“The primary design challenge lay in seamlessly integrating the specially developed technical layout of this hybrid prototype with New Holland’s evolving design DNA – a language already established across the latest generation of combines, forage harvesters and tractors, and strongly aligned with sustainability and smart solutions.”
The design team focused on creating a modern, functional style that “elevates the operator’s experience, allowing for exceptional driving comfort, visibility and overall control”.
“What initially appeared a complex integration exercise ultimately became an opportunity to redefine proportions and express a distinctive new character,” Vietti said.
According to the manufacturer, the “chiselled surface styling” of the Hybrid Telehandler gives it “a robust and contemporary presence, making it stand out as a true statement of New Holland innovation”.
