13 Mar 07
He says: 'We are looking forward to working in our own design studio,' adding, 'We are going to hire more people. I want to build a bigger design team.' What he is looking for is good designers who are not only creative but have the right personality for Kia. 'They have to fit into the team.'
Presumably this will help separate Kia and Hyundai, allowing the little sister to develop its own personality. 'I think if Kia has its own character, it will separate automatically,' says Schreyer.
He evidently has some strong views on the subject. 'I'm not running around the whole day thinking how to differentiate between Hyundai - this is not the aim of my life. It is important for the two brands to have their own identity, but you can only achieve this by creating your own identity not by worrying about how to separate one from the other. It's like looking at it the wrong way around. If you create a strong identity for yourself then you are automatically different.'
Kia Sorento
The new Frankfurt centre will also help steer a more European-focused product line-up. Schreyer explains that the difference in the various markets isn't so much about design, but more about the regional needs and wants. For example, three- and five-door hatchbacks sell well in Europe but not so well in the US, whereas bigger SUVs are ideal for America yet tough to sell here.
'There is a difference in concept, but not so much in design flavour. But this isn't to say we would do more Kia cars in Europe and Hyundai cars in the US,' he says. 'There are, however, variations on the colours and materials where you can make differentiations in various markets.'
