The former Land Rover design director joined Great Wall Motors. How will the styles of Haval and WEY change?

Great Wall recently issued a statement on its official websites in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa that Phil Simmons, former Land Rover exterior design director, will serve as Great Wall's global design director and vice president.

Phil Simmons

A year after former design director Pierre Leclerq jumped to Kia Group, the vacant position was finally filled.

Phil Simmons was the exterior design director of Land Rover. He was responsible for the design and development of the 2018 Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, 2017 Range Rover Velar, 2016 Range Rover Evoque, and 2016 Discovery. Phil Simmons will serve as the global design director and vice president of Great Wall Motors.

Phil Simmons, a British man, graduated from Coventry University with a degree in transportation design and has nearly 30 years of design experience. From 1999 to 2007, he also worked for Ford, responsible for the design of the 2009 Ford Fiesta, the 2005 Ford Fusion, the Mercury Milan and the Lincoln MKZ.

Both Pierre and Simmons come from mainstream international luxury brands, which shows that Haval and WEY are definitely aiming for the high-end market.

Thanks to Pierre's contribution, Haval and WEY have formed a mature design language and established a solid foundation. Pierre once held an important design position at BMW, had experience in the design projects of BMW X5 and X6, and had his own insights into SUV design.

Phil Simmons worked at Land Rover for more than a decade. The square design style of Land Rover was in sharp conflict with the curves and power advocated by Pierre. These were two completely different trends in the automotive design industry. If Land Rover's SUV was shaping a tough vehicle mechanic, then Pierre obviously wanted to make the vehicle have soul and life.

Today’s car design should pursue “Less is more”. Even luxury brands will not pay too much attention to exaggerated designs. It is smart to use simple shapes and lines to reflect a sense of luxury.

In the future, the designs of Haval and WEY are likely to pursue simple aesthetics. This is not only the idea of ​​the design director, but also a trend in future automobile design.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.