| In The Streets of Seoul With Kia (part 1) |
Designer Peter Schreyer has quite an impressive resume. Among others, he's the mastermind behind the Audi TT and Volkswagen New Beetle, two cars that literally brought their respective brands back to the forefront of the global design scene. When such an expert decides to lead a team of bright young stylists at a company like Kia, every product and idea is thoroughly revisited and improved.
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| Photo: Kia |
"I came here not only with an automotive mindset but also with my corporate thinking cap on," said Schreyer during a mini-summit in Seoul. "Kia is a major company with solid values and human approaches. That's what I wanted to base my work on."
So far, the results show that the experiment is successful. The Kia Soul, the first Korean car designed by Schreyer, recently wound up among the top three finalists for the World Car Design of the Year title. Perhaps even more rewarding for the seasoned designer is the fact that the city of Seoul chose the Soul as the feature car of the "World Design Capital Seoul 2010" program.
National recognition
The Kia Soul is more than just an automobile. It symbolizes an entire generation of Koreans and made its designer a star. Just ask YoungSe Kim, President of Inno Design, whose famous creations have turned him into a true national hero.
"Peter Schreyer pulled off an amazing feat -- to create a car with not only standout looks but also great functionality and easy manufacturing capability. After all, design isn't just about aesthetics; it's also about practicality and feasibility," commented the electronics guru who's currently working on a flying car project with a 2020 deadline.
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| Photo: Kia |