Former Volkswagen Design Head Joins China's Automobile Behemoth Changan

Chongqing - Changan Automobile recently announced that Klaus Zyciora, the former Head of Design for the Volkswagen Group, has joined the company as Vice President, overseeing Changan Automobile's global design division.

Changan's new design leader, Klaus Zyciora. (Photo/Changan)

While Zyciora may be an unfamiliar name to Chinese consumers, he carries immense prestige in the international automotive realm. Zyciora served as Volkswagen's Head of Design for 12 years, leading the company's design of globally popular Golf models from the 5th to 8th generations. During Volkswagen's shift towards electric vehicles, he was responsible for designing the company's key ID. series models, including the ID.3, ID.4, ID.6, and more.

Volkswagen ID.4 is among the top 5 best-selling EVs in the European market. (Photo/Volkswagen)

"Our consideration is to let Mr. Zyciora handle Changan's design at a higher level, with a global vision for the global design," said a Changan PR source. "The design for brands like Qiyuan and Deepal will be organized under his leadership."

In the global context, Changan's design, as the hub of the Changan brand, has established an international professional layout. Presently, Changan boasts more than 17,000 engineering and technical personnel from 30 different countries. 

Apart from China, they have established global collaborative research and development centers in locations like Turin, Italy, Yokohama, Birmingham, Detroit, and Munich, each with its unique focus. 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Changan's European Design Center and the 15th anniversary of its Japanese Design Center, demonstrating Changan's commitment to around-the-clock development activities across various geographical barriers.

Over the past few years, Changan has produced "national" models like the CS and UNI series and introduced new energy vehicle brands and products such as Alsvin, Shenlan, and Qiuyuan, known for their distinctive designs. With the advancement of Changan Automotive's overseas strategies, an urgent need is to bring in global talents who understand global consumer markets and possess forward-looking design capabilities.

Zyciora's addition represents a significant step in Changan Automotive's "Vast Ocean Plan," further advancing the company's overseas strategies and global positioning.

Changan Automotive Chairman Zhu Huarong believes that the global automotive market will enter a new era of growth for new energy vehicles, with new energy serving as a breakthrough for Chinese brands to gain international recognition.