Ex-VW designer for Kia top seat
2012-12-31 07:14
KIA OPTIMA: It's one of Kia's newest models, complete with the 'tiger's nose' grille, and another car from Peter Schreyer's (inset) pen.
SEOUL, South Korea - Peter Schreyer, Kia Motors' chief design officer and the man who led the company’s design transformation, has been appointed as the first non-Korean president of the company.
Schreyer, 59, joined Kia in 2006 from VW to create a new design-led product strategy for the brand that quickly became known as the “tiger-nose” family look. Since then the design team has unveiled a long line of concept cars and new products - among them the latest Sportage, the new Cee’d family, and other larger models for sale in the Korean domestic and some overseas markets such as Optima, K7 and Quoris as well as mass-market models such as Picanto and Rio.
CARENS UNDER SCRUTINY
Schreyer has publicly commented on his commitment to Kia and his desire to remain with the company to continue the challenge of making the brand the most design-focused Korean automaker.
In 2013 the last volume product in Kia’s range to come under his design philosophy - the Carens - will be unveiled, complete with the Schreyer-inspired family look as well as the first sporty model to be added to the Cee’d range.
Schreyer is married with two children and originally from Bavaria in Germany. He studied in Germany and at the Royal College of Art in London before becoming part of the VW Group’s design team and contributing to the distinct appearance of several VW and Audi models, among them the Passat and the Audi TT.
