Last year, Kia chief designer Peter Schreyer was given a pretty big new responsibility: Oversight of parent company Hyundai’s design strategy, in addition to his role at Kia. He recently told us that he wants to create a signature “Hyundai face” in order to even better emphasize the different characteristics of the two Korean brands.
As Schreyer told us, “It is very important to keep the brands distinct. We need to be recognized as two brands.” He added that “Kia is architectonical, very straight, while Hyundai is curvaceous, sometimes quite spectacular. They have done good work.”
Moving forward, he aims to help Hyundai develop its own styling language, while avoiding extreme, non-functional shapes. It isn’t presently clear whether Schreyer plans to scrap Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture design language or merely hone it, but it seems like he’s leaning toward the former. As proof, we offer into evidence Schreyer himself saying that the Intrado concept car, shown at the Geneva auto show this past March, is a good indication of where the brand could go and what its front graphic signature could look like. Aside from a few 2015 Genesis styling cues, the Intrado doesn’t look like any current Hyundai product.
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Speaking of future models, Schreyer emphasized the importance of the B-size (subcompact) SUV segment, especially in places like China and South America. Any potential Hyundai entry—previewed by the aforementioned Intrado—in this arena would take on the likes of Ford’s EcoSport abroad, while if it were to come Stateside, it would battle Jeep’s new Renegade and Chevrolet’s Trax.
Schreyer also said that an upmarket and sporty rear-wheel-drive Kia, inspired by the 2011 GT concept, is all but green-lighted. “Interest was great,” he remarked. We certainly agree—the concept was awesome, and hopefully it’s sportier in execution than the luxo-barge K900.
While it’s good to see two closely linked brands try to further set apart their wares, the recent focus on design at Hyundai and Kia has produced some handsome rides that, if we’re honest, are already fairly well-differentiated from one another. The exciting part will be seeing what direction Schreyer ultimately takes Hyundai—and whether or not the GT concept gets off the ground.
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