Currently reading: Former Rolls-Royce and Skoda design chief joins Volkswagen
Jozef Kabaň returns after short spell at BMW Group; Klaus Bischoff takes over as head of VW Group design

Former BMW, Rolls-Royce and Skoda design boss Jozef Kaban will take over as head of design at Volkswagen next year, with Klaus Bischoff moving up to lead design across the Volkswagen Group.

Kabaň started his career at Volkswagen in 1993, also becoming exterior design chief of Bugatti in 1998, where he styled the Veyron supercar. He had a stint with Audi before taking over at Skoda in 2008, playing a key role in overhauling the brand’s design language and image.

He left the Volkswagen Group in 2017 to became head of design for BMW and moved to the same position at Rolls-Royce in March this year, before departing in October. He will take over as Volkswagen’s chief designer on 1 July 2020.

Bischoff has worked in Volkswagen's design department since 1989 and been in charge of it since 2007. Recently, he has played a key role in developing the styling of the new ID range of electric cars and a wider revamp of the whole brand.

In recent years, the Volkswagen Group has taken steps to make the design language of each of its brands more distinctive, and the importance of that is likely to increase in the coming years as its portfolio expands greatly with the introduction of numerous electric models built on the MEB platform.

Bischoff will take over as head of Volkswagen Group Design from Michael Mauer, who has filled that role since 2016 while also serving as Porsche design chief. He will continue in the latter job, which he has held since 2004, when Bischoff begins his new role on 1 April 2020.

READ MORE

Jozef Kaban: how the Bugatti Veyron influenced Skoda design

Volkswagen unveils new logo as part of company-wide revamp

Volkswagen ID 3: crucial new electric car revealed

James Attwood

James Attwood, digital editor
Title: Acting magazine editor

James is Autocar's acting magazine editor. Having served in that role since June 2023, he is in charge of the day-to-day running of the world's oldest car magazine, and regularly interviews some of the biggest names in the industry to secure news and features, such as his world exclusive look into production of Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets. 

Join the debate

Comments
2
Add a comment…
catnip 5 December 2019

"In recent years, the

"In recent years, the Volkswagen Group has taken steps to make the design language of each of its brands more distinctive.."

Really?  I'd say they've become less distinctive. Up, Mii and Citygo are obviously the same car, and Tiguan, Ateca, Tarraco, Kodiaq and Karoq are pretty interchangeable.

Pietro Cavolonero 5 December 2019

It's starting to look a bit like.....

....BMC for those of you old enough to remember!