Hyundai and Kia get new design President through familiar in-house name

If Chris Bangle had his 'Flame Surfacing' then German born designer, Peter Schreyer, has his 'Tiger Nose' legacy to speak of. The current Chief Design Officer and first non-Korean President of Kia Motors has just been added one more job scope under his portfolio. Schreyer has been tasked to oversee the design language of all future Kia and Hyundai models in order to streamline resources and create synergy between the two brands.

Woong-Chul Yang, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group's R&D Centre in Korea, explains the appointment of Schreyer, "Mr. Schreyer brings a wealth of experience in design from the global auto industry and has a deep understanding of the Hyundai Motor Group. These valuable qualities will help build the foundation needed to make Hyundai and Kia leading global top automakers," added Mr. Yang. 

The current appointment will also expand on the group's motive of 'Brand Innovation based on Quality' and will expand on the current design philosophies - 'Fluidic Sculpture of Hyundai and 'The simplicity of the straight line' - for Kia.

Hyundai introduced the 'Fluidic Sculpture' design philosophy back in 2009 and has since been applied to its entire lineup. The new styling has aided in substantial sales growth in the global market on top of increased production capabilities worldwide. On the contrary Kia has been utilising its 'The simplicity of the straight line' design philosophy, led by Mr. Schreyer back in 2006, and has since won numerous awards including the red dot design and iF design awards.