VW appoints design center director

A new Volkswagen Atlas SUV sits in front of Village Volkswagen. The Chattanooga-made Atlas helped push Volkswagen of America to a 15 percent gain in sales in June.
A new Volkswagen Atlas SUV sits in front of Village Volkswagen. The Chattanooga-made Atlas helped push Volkswagen of America to a 15 percent gain in sales in June.

Volkswagen of America has appointed Reto Brun as director of the Design Center California in Santa Monica, Calif., now a dedicated Volkswagen brand studio.

He will oversee the DCC design team and development of VW concepts exclusively for the U.S. market and ensure collaboration with the Volkswagen Group of America Engineering and Planning Center in Chattanooga and Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg, Germany.

"His strong design background and expertise in the U.S. market will be integral in leading the conceptualization of products that are competitive, desirable to American buyers, and accurately reflect Volkswagen ideals," said Matthias Erb, executive vice president and chief engineering officer, for Volkswagen Group of America, in a statement.

The new position operates as part of Volkswagen's North American Region structure, formed to permit greater autonomy in responding to customer demands unique to Mexico, Canada and the United States. Prior to the restructure, the DCC served as the pulse of Volkswagen Group design for both international and American markets, driving design strategy as well as delivering relevant U.S. consumer insights and trends to Wolfsburg headquarters.

Under the NAR, the DCC will be deepening its role in steering market-centric products, working directly with U.S. model line, marketing, sales, and procurement teams, while continuing to leverage design resources from around the world. The Passat GT concept, a special edition model built based on extensive feedback from U.S. customers and dealers, is one example of how Volkswagen can tailor its products to market needs, according to the company.

Brun joined the Volkswagen Group in 1996, serving in various capacities within the company. Most recently, he was design manager at the DCC, responsible for design proposals for the U.S. Volkswagen Passat, Audi Q6, A8 and A5 models, as well as the Volkswagen Lavida, sold in Shanghai.

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