We interviewed Eduardo Ramírez, Head of Exterior Design for Hyundai in Europe
Eduardo Ramírez is Hyundai’s head of exterior design at its European headquarters in Wiesbaden, near Frankfurt, and although his work spans between Germany, Korea and the various automotive events he and his team go to in search of inspiration, he has a Punched hole in his agenda to visit the Master’s Degree in Automobile Design given at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, a master’s degree that has been in business for twenty years and is well known at Hyundai, as some of its students have worked for the brand.
The visit coincides with Hyundai’s thirtieth anniversary in Spain, a unique opportunity to interview the designer and analyze the present and future of the world’s fourth largest car manufacturer.
What do you think of the design school in Valencia?
I am pleasantly impressed, both with the facilities and with the level of student work. I already had some references from designers who have worked with us and studied here, but I hadn’t had the chance to meet her. In addition, Valencia seems to me to be a pleasant place to learn design.
How did you become a designer?
I was born and raised in the Canary Islands, a country with a great love for rallying, so whenever I could I would see cars like the Lancia Stratos racing on the road, and I wanted to design them. After finishing my studies in Spain, I wanted to study architecture because I didn’t know about the existence of car design schools, but I found a friend who went to study at the Royal College of London and I studied that specialty. After graduating, my goal was to work in Italy, but I was approached by Audi, where I started my career. Later Opel hired me for their department and I designed models for the German brand and Saab, especially from the last period of the Swedish company. Fifteen years ago I joined Hyundai where I am Head of Exterior Design reporting to our Head of Design, Thomas Buerkle.
How would you explain the change in the design of the brand in the thirty years it has been in Spain?
Hyundai is a company that has achieved everything with great effort, with three generations in a company that started as an auto repair shop and is now one of the world leaders. This is only possible with a lot of creativity, and in fact the founder of the company always asked if he refused, have you tried? Hyundai used to be a brand of discreet design, which was accepted by a large majority, but today on the streets of South Korea, more than seventy percent of the cars belonging to our industrial group are Hyundai or Kia, so we need more and more more groundbreaking.
How is this trend reflected in the new models?
From the design team we want to surprise, and we want designers who give free rein to their imagination. Only then can designs like the Tucson or the Ioniq 5 be launched, very different from each other, but with qualities to become iconic. The same goes for the Staria, a vehicle I worked on with a designer who is no longer with Hyundai but trained here, at the Master of Design in Valencia, and which is absolutely groundbreaking in its class.
What makes a design iconic?
May it be remembered and recognized by the people. Sometimes because of its simplicity, as with the first Hyundais, and sometimes because of its differentiation, like the first Coupé. Today we work in such a way that every design is special, in the Tucson you see a front without main headlights, integrated into the grille, and the Ioniq 5 and Staria have very avant-garde solutions in their image, which makes them recognizable at first glance . The same happens in the N sports range.
How is a car designed today?
The available tools always influence the design. For example, in the 1970s the Italians worked with hard materials and the cars had very sharp lines; but in the United States they worked with clay, so the shapes were much freer. Now you work digitally and you can do even the smallest detail with great precision, but you have to know how to drive it to keep in mind the most important thing: the first impression the car gives you.
How long does it take from sketch to production?
Sketches can be digitized very quickly and the use of common technical platforms reduces engineering time so that we can go from sketch to manufactured car in three years. Digital tools not only speed up design work, but also decision-making. I used to travel to Korea every month, now we have virtual reality meetings, with the car perfectly visible and our colleagues from Korea virtually at our side to discuss details of the design. The first time we held a meeting of this type, I said to my wife, “Today I went to Korea”. This means that more options can be presented, discussed with management and experimented with… in addition to saving time, it also has many advantages.
What are the key values in Hyundai’s design?
Our slogan is ‘progress for humanity’ and we incorporate that in all cars, such as the electric Ioniq 5, which is designed from the inside, first to create a space where traveling and living together is really pleasant, then the exterior, or in the Staria , where we have lowered the line of the windows so that passengers look more at the outside that surrounds us. Nowadays everything changes and with every design we have to take into account new ways of using the car. For example, in the prototype of the Hyundai Seven, designed during the pandemic, we have made the interior more protected and more pleasant, with the feeling of security at home.
How will the arrival of the electric, hydrogen and autonomous car change design?
It gives us more freedom. The traditional combustion car needs certain proportions for the mechanics or a cooling grill, with the electric car we have a blank sheet of paper to define the proportions and we want to make the most of that freedom that we have now.
How does sustainability or ecology affect your department?
We are very aware of the social responsibility of the car, but it takes a lot of research into materials and collaboration with other companies to produce materials with less environmental impact that meet all the needs a car needs. The same happens with production or energy sources, their impact must be reduced in collaboration with supplier companies.
How many design centers does Hyundai have?
We have the main design center in Korea with about 400 employees, followed by Frankfurt, California, Shanghai and development offices in Yantai, China, India and Japan. In total, although I do not know the exact details, we have more than 500 people employed.
What do you ask of future designers?
Let them dare. We don’t encourage any specialities, every designer should be able to do any type of project. Sometimes it’s an SUV, sometimes a more commercial vehicle, a compact, a sports car… being able to work on the integral vehicle and work as a team in each of the projects.
Of all the models, which was more challenging?
Starting something completely new and groundbreaking always requires some risk. It is a challenge to dare to make decisions without being certain about the outcome, and that characterizes Hyundai’s bold attitude. An example that shows good results is the Ioniq 5, a car that has been designed in a very different way because it is the first to use the electric platform.
Where does a design team find inspiration?
We look at many different aspects of creativity. We don’t look at things like car sales, we travel a lot, we get a lot of information. Knowledge is the basis for being creative. We encourage the team to enrich themselves through trips to all kinds of events, for example this year we are going to the Goodwood Festival.
If you could make a car from scratch, what kind of car would it be?
A light, practical and fun.
Which car would you like to have that you don’t currently have in the range?
Hyundai has never had a convertible. It hasn’t been one of the priorities in model planning, but I think there’s always a desire to make a fun car with a youthful spirit.
How are things going at Hyundai?
The deployment of the electric Ioniq family is going to be very interesting, with models that differ greatly from each other and also deviate from the range known so far.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
