THE DESIGNER TRACK: KIA DESIGNER PETER SCHREYER
There are some great 2017 Kia models at Monroeville Kia right now. Kia has been building cars since the 1970s and their models have always been admired. Once Kia decided to break out of the Asian market and reach out into the European and American landscapes they realized that they had better understand what those automobile consumers really wanted. They could have copied any number of very attractive cars in the auto industry but they did the smart thing and hired one of the best car designers in the world to push their Kia brand to the top of the game, so to speak.
Peter Schreyer has been at Kia since 2006. That’s a bit understated, however, since Kia hired Peter ad Chief Design Officer for the company. Why would they do that, you might ask? Well, if you are in the automotive industry, then the name Peter Schreyer means something. It has a very substantial ring to it, as a matter of fact. He has worked at some of the most famous European car manufacturers such as Audi, Volkswagen where he designed the Volkswagen Eos, Golf, Concept R and Volkswagen’s new Beetle. He also worked on the Audi A3, A4, A6 and the storied Audi TT.
So, Mr. Schreyer obviously has a major track record and Kia knew a good thing when they saw it. At Kia, Mr. Schreyer has put in some of his innovative design ideas into the Kia Borrego, Cee’d, Forte, Optima, Picanto, Rio, Sorento, Soul, Sportage, Venga and the Hyundai Tucson. Hyundai is part owner of Kia.
His attitude toward cars and design is, in his words: “In the past, the Kia cars were very neutral. When you saw one on the road, you didn’t really know if it was Korean or Japanese…I think it’s very important that you are able to recognize a Kia at first sight.” That’s why his “Tiger Face” design of Kia’s front end makes the Kia immediately stand out from the herd. He says it is “a powerful visual signal, a seal, an identifier. The front of a car needs this recognition, this expression. A car needs a face and I think the new Kia face is strong and distinctive. Visibility is vital and that face should immediately allow you to identify a Kia even from a distance”.
Of course, Kia stands out in many other ways also. You can see for yourself when you visit Monroeville Kia or take a look at their website: http://www.monroevillekia.com/