Auto Trader NZ
Published 3 September 2020
Schreyer (53) starts with Kia in September and will oversee its domestic and international design departments. His brief will be to implement the company’s design vision in line with its brand values that target young-at-heart and adventurous customers.
Kia president, Euisun Chung, says Schreyer’s appointment “underlines our commitment to meeting and exceeding customer expectations by accurately reflecting modern aesthetics and regional and cultural sensibilities. We are looking forward to working with (Schreyer) to lay out a long-term strategy that will centre on moulding a unique and consistent design lineage for the entire future Kia line-up. We are focused on boosting our competitiveness on the world stage by dramatically enhancing the design element of our vehicle line-up while adding a strong emotional dimension to the brand.”
Schreyer will oversee Kia’s regional design centres in Frankfurt, Los Angeles and Tokyo as well as the Namyang design centre in Korea.
His central task will be to mould the future face of the brand and models from the same clay.
“Good design not only transmits clear messages through the products, but also solidifies the company’s brand positioning and overall company image,”
he says.
“Kia already has a reputation for successful and reliable products with solid designs and an outstanding price-to-performance ratio. While others are treading water, Kia is making tremendous headway.”
Schreyer will unveil Kia’s first ever vehicle to be produced in Europe specifically for European customers, a five door family hatchback codenamed ED, at the Paris Motor Show in September.
As Audi’s chief designer between 1994 and 2002, Schreyer was instrumental in revamping the Audi brand with several revolutionary new designs. From 2002 to 2005, he was the chief designer for Volkswagen and since 2005 has been the head of advanced design for the Volkswagen group.
Along with the New Beetle, he has worked on the VW Eos, VW Microbus, Audi Quattro Spider, Audi TT and TTS, Audi Rosemeyer concept, Audi R8 sports racing car, and Lamborghini Murcielago and Gallardo.
