Jan Kaul of FAW describes a conscious move away from big screens in order to create strong brand identity, marrying traditional influence with new technology
With 20 years of experience in the interior design team at Mercedes-Benz, Jan Kaul worked on numerous iconic production models that became extremely important for the German marque, from the A-Class to the S-Class, the EQC to the AMG GT. He also had a hand in the IAA concept that turned heads at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2015, and the Generation EQ concept unveiled in 2016 that marked the start of the company’s EQ sub-brand launch.
But in 2022 he took on a new role, one that has proved particularly challenging for a European. Now head of interior design at FAW Munich, Kaul leads a team of talented young designers that work on the FAW, Hongqi and Bestune brands, with the goal of pushing the boundaries of Chinese design in the car world.
Car Design News: What was the transition like from spending over 19 years at Mercedes-Benz to working at China FAW Group?
Jan Kaul: I started at Mercedes-Benz in 2002, and when I resigned in 2022 we had just finished the third generation of the E-Class that I was involved in. So I thought: it has been good, but do I want to continue doing the same for another 15 years? FAW was very interesting to me because…
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