Why chief designer Jozef Kaban has to leave Volkswagen

VW designer Kabaň with concept car ID.Life

The Slovakian designer will be transferred within the group after only 30 months.

(Photo: Volkswagen AG)

Dusseldorf The quick farewell to VW chief designer Jozef Kabaň, which VW announced on Tuesday, initially sounded friendly. The Slovak will be appointed Creative Art Director Volkswagen and in this function will report directly to Kai Grünitz, Board Member for the brand. Andreas Mindt, previously Head of Design at Bentley, will take on the role of Chief Designer for the Volkswagen brand from February.

Kabaň has shown “that design is more than the styling of individual models,” according to the statement. The 50-year-old set “clear accents” with his design language.

If you ask around among Kabaň’s companions, it sounds different. There is talk of a “dethronement” of the designer. And from a “rip cord” that VW brand boss Thomas Schäfer had to pull. Kabaň should develop a uniform design language at VW. That didn’t work, according to Wolfsburg.

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