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Hyundai are poised for exciting times ahead after it secured another coup by securing the service of Bentley’s exterior designer, just a year after poaching the luxury marque’s design chief.
The Korean brand, which continues to soar in popularity in the kingdom, issued a statement saying Sangyup Lee will start work next month as its head of design.
Lee is being brought in to work with Luc Donckerwolke, a Peruvian-born Belgian, to lead Hyundai’s development of its Genesis premium car brand.
A Hyundai statement said: “Lee will help enhance the design competitiveness of both the Hyundai and Genesis brands with his abundant experience in designing high-end luxury vehicles.
“His challenging and innovative design languages fit well with the DNA of Hyundai Motors.”
The company, which sells eight million cars a year, has vowed to break into new markets to ensure their profits remain on an upwards trajectory. This includes premium cars, pick-up trucks and an increased presence in Southeast Asia.
Bentley spokesman Andrew Roberts confirmed Lee ‘has resigned from Bentley to take a position at another brand’. Lee, 46, ran Bentley’s exterior design since 2012 having previously worked at Volkswagen group’s design centre in California, and General Motors. He played a lead role in designing the Chevrolet Corvette, Stingray and Camaro, and Bentley’s Bentayga SUV.
As for future plans, the design duo aim to make Genesis a recognised global premium brand as new disruptive technologies such as autonomous, connected cars and alternative propulsion systems alter the auto design landscape.
Lee explained: “Because of these technologies, the car industry is about to hit a crossroads. The future is truly open. It’s difficult to say if all the prestigious brands today will still be around in 10-20 years.”
Lee, who says he was first approached by Hyundai two years ago, said he and Donckerwolke plan to design Genesis cars from a ‘clean sheet of paper’.
“For decades, luxury brands such as Bentley, Aston Martin and Maserati have been about possession,” he continued. “In the future, as disruptive technologies kick in, luxury is going to be about experience. People are going to look for a special experience rather than something special to own.”
Motoring manufacturers predict many households will no longer own two, or three cars, but spend more on one car.
That fits with Hyundai’s aspirations to not just drive the Genesis brand but elevate the Hyundai name to an elite global corporate league alongside the likes of BMW, Boeing and Apple.
