According to Hyundai and Kia’s group head of design, Peter Schreyer, evolutionary design changes to the brand’s cars “would be dangerous.” Instead, he preferred big changes, which are deemed a necessity from one generation to the next.
In a report prepared by CarAdvice, Schreyer cited the all-new Kia Sportage that represented a significant design change from the previous-generation model. The move was done to take the Sportage’s design “to the next level.”
“I think the old Sportage is a pretty good-looking car, so when you do the next one, somehow do you make a successful car just by renewing it by something you hardly see, or do you really improve it so you make the next step?” asked Schreyer.
“I think it was good that we made the next step, but it still looks like a Sportage, you can still recognise it as a Sportage, and that’s the good thing about it,” he added.
The man who also had a hand in designing the original Audi TT, as well as the A3, A4, A6 and the Volkswagen Beetle, shared his thoughts on why Kia or Hyundai won’t dabble with evolutionary design languages that brands such as Audi and BMW have done.
“This kind of thing would be maybe dangerous for us to do. Especially if you look at the Korean market itself, where half the cars on the market are Hyundais and the other half are Kias. If we were do such a thing, all the cars would look the same and then [after a new generation] all the cars would still look the same, so I think we need to have a stronger differentiation.
“I think the good thing really is [that] Hyundai and Kia, they are dynamic, flexible companies. And the Koreans are very quick and demanding, so this gives us a chance to make the changes – it’s actually that they are asking for it, so I think it’s good that it kind of keeps us awake,” he said.
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Opens up for imagination to flow. Just make it nice and lively! Don’t restrict yourself to certain design.
What is he talking about? The new Sportage has no resemblance to the old one. The new one looks like crap, in fact.. trying to ape the Macan while retaining Kia design elements, it’s just a confused hodge-podge of design elements that don’t gel together
‘….The new Sportage has no resemblance to the old one.’ Guess that’s why it’s not EVOLUTIONARY, eh?
Hyundai-Kias has alwiz been a hodge-podge of various design elements, just that some MY pipu praise sky high while bashing P1.
Not some MY only. INTERNATIONALLY people prefer Kia/Hyundai. Even won Car of the Year awards. Can find Kia/Hyundai in so many countries.
But no one fckin wants to buy Proton outside of Malaysia, except 100 cheapo misinformed idiots who don’t want to use their power windows.
Proton better.
But the model on the right is the best
Making big leaps don’t always work.
Just ask BMW what happen when their BMWs got Bangle’dized.
Yes, in hindsight, they are not that bad, and in truth, some of the designs have grown on me, but as with anything, if your designs get too avantgarde, it might not work with your customers.
Errr….excuse me, then why the new Hyundai Elantra looks so much like the old one? and that Kia Optima too?