Designers

Exclusive Q&A: Oliver Samson, Kia Europe Design

By 2025-03-31T11:09:00

Double-height studio & EV2 model - Kia Europe Design

Kia Europe Design’s chief senior designer Oliver Samson talks tech and European aesthetics in Car Design News’ exclusive studio chat

Now with his feet firmly under the table, almost a year on since (re-)joining Kia in April 2024, chief senior designer Oliver Samson gave an exclusive audience to Car Design News, and a walkaround of Kia’s impressive seven-storey Frankfurt building (of which Design occupies five).

The mild-mannered and thoughtful ex-Kia (2003-2007), Mercedes (2007-2018), Nio (2018-2021) and most recently Changan (2021-2023) designer made his name with cars including the 2016 Mercedes Vision Maybach 6 concept and 2021 Nio ET5 and 2022 Nio ET7, before effectively taking over the running of Kia’s Europe Design centre from Gregory Guillaume last spring.

Double-height studio - Kia Europe Design

Kia Europe Design studio

Part of the 47-year-old Indonesia-born and Pforzheim-educated German designer’s new remit is to make Kia Europe’s design operation compete more globally. With more than two decades of experience at both historic European and start-up Chinese brands, plus a 7300 sq m workplace boasting airy floor-to-ceiling glass offices, a double-height modelling area with six full-size plates,12 milling machines and three power walls, he’s well-placed and equipped to carry out the brief. Read on here for his thoughts on getting the job, what his boss wants now and the trouble – and opportunity – with current automotive UX.

Car Design News: How did the move to Kia Europe happen?

Oliver Samson: I knew…

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