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VW’s Head Of Design Says Brand To Ditch Cheap Plastic And Will Use More Fabric Instead
Top Gear recently had the opportunity to speak with Volkswagen’s head of design Andy Mindt and head of design strategy Christian Schreiber about the future direction of the brand when it comes to the look of the car.
They pointed out that the priority in the interior of the vehicle will be functionality over “flashiness” and said that they will “play with all the touch points”.
“When you open the door of a Volkswagen car, the interior must be simple and practical, without excessive decoration. This should also apply to using the car, which is made to ‘cooperate’ with the driver, not to complicate things. There will be some surprises from For example, we will have certain patterns, especially for GTI models, and we are very protective of these things so we will not use them for other models,” Schreiber said.
Mindt spoke more about the brand’s commitment to the quality of production, that is, the focus on higher quality materials and simpler parts.
“We’re going to try to get rid of cheap plastic and use more fabric instead to improve quality, and that will help us save money and use the same elsewhere. An example is a door panel made up of three parts. We’re going to try to design it with one ‘island’ in the middle. We will still have the door handle and the armrest, but they will be made from one piece. Also, this will make the whole process more sustainable,” says Mindt.
Speaking about the broader design philosophy, they expressed a desire to differentiate themselves from the aggressive styling of some competitors. Instead, they want to be perceived as “good guys”.
“I believe that most people don’t want to be the coolest or come across as aggressive in public. They want to have a suit and a good exterior, and also be happy and optimistic. Why the need to be aggressive? We want to be good guys. “, Mindt finished.
