New Kia VP for design is man behind the look of BMW i8 Roadster

MANILA: Not that it doesn’t look good already, but Kia expects to take the interior design of its vehicles to another level after hiring the man who was responsible for crafting the 2009 BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car and the BMW i8 Roadster.

His name is Jochen Paesen and he is now the new vice president of the interior design group and will be based at the Kia Design Center in Namyang, Korea.

Paesen’s main task is to oversee the develop the brand’s future interior design, specifically for a range of future electric and electrified vehicles.

In his almost two decades with BMW, Paesen led major interior design projects across volume, premium and start-up brands. His last position was senior design director for interior design in charge a global team of designers in Munich, Germany in establishing an interior identity for the brand prior to its market entry.

“It is a great honor to be part of Kia’s global design team during a time of enormous change in the automotive industry. I look forward to contributing to Kia’s ambitious plans for the future with exciting and innovative products that will strengthen its position on the market. Kia has a very talented design and development team and I cannot wait to combine our efforts to strengthen the brand further, and pave a new direction full of innovation and class-leading designs,” said Paesen.

The Kia Design Center is the heart of Kia’s global design network. It oversees all aspects of the brand’s design, from conceptualization and modelling to styling and development of color and materials.

“Jochen is not only a talented designer with a great track record, but he also has a deep understanding of the synergy between brand and design. At a time when Kia has announced its **’Plan S’ strategy to tackle the changing environment of the automotive world, Jochen will strengthen our design team and help us create great opportunities for the company. I look forward to welcoming him to our young and creative Kia’s design team in Korea,” said senior vice president and head of Kia Design Center Karim Habib.