After five years at rival Renault, Gilles Vidal will become head of design for European brands for Stellantis from October 1.
There he will oversee the design of cars, SUVs and vans from Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel/Vauxhall, Fiat/Abarth, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia. He replaces his former boss Jean-Pierre Ploué, who will leave Stellantis.
His return to Stellantis is the latest in a series of executive changes and appointment since Antonio Filosa took charge of the French-Italian-American automaker in late June.
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Mr Vidal has been the Renault Group’s head of design Gilles Vidal. During his relatively short tenure there he has overseen a number of key models and important changes.
The Renault 5 EV concept, which debuted in 2021, was turned into the 2024 production model. This has been joined by the 4 E-Tech, another retro-flavoured all-electric model, and starting with the 2023 Rafale, a new design language has been rolled out across the Renault lineup.
On top of this he also oversaw the introduction of a harder-edged style for Dacia, and the transformation of Alpine into a brand that also encompasses sporty electric SUVs.
No interim or long-term successor has been named for Mr Vidal. His departure sees the French automaker thrown into more chaos.
In June, CEO Luca de Meo suddenly quit to lead Kering, a luxury brand conglomerate that owns Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and others. Renault has appointed chief financial officer Duncan Minto as interim boss, but a full-time replacement has yet to be found.
Prior to leading the Renault Group’s design operations, Mr Vidal had spent all of his working life at Group PSA, the then-parent of Peugeot and Citroen.
He joined Citroen in 1996 after graduating from the Art Centre College of Design in Vevey, Switzerland. He ascended through the ranks, working on both interior and exterior design, and managing the development of the first-generation Citroen C4 and C4 Picasso (above).
Mr Vidal was appointed as the Peugeot’s brand chief designer in 2010, where he helped to craft a sportier and more modern image for the marque. Highlights include the 2013 Peugeot 308, the second-generation 508 launched in 2018, and the 3008 revealed in 2016.
He also oversaw the introduction of the iCockpit interior design theme, which blends aircraft inspiration with the company’s latest infotainment systems.
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