The British publication Autocar holds an annual ceremony to reward the best of the year in the automotive sector. Prizes are given to both personalities and certain models.
This year, in the “Design Hero Award” category, the award was presented to Volvo Design Director and Senior Vice President Thomas Ingenlath.
Autocar recognized the work that Thomas Ingenlath has been doing on the Swedish brand since joining it in 2012. The new language he created reflects Volvo's Scandinavian origins.
Simple, controlled lines combined with excellent proportions and attention to detail. The interiors have also been acclaimed for their use of natural materials, construction quality and for the space “invaded” by natural light. You breathe an elegant, luxurious and comfortable environment.
Volvo Coupe Concept revealed the new direction to be taken
The first "sample" of Thomas Ingenlath's vision for Volvo came in 2013, with the introduction of the Volvo Coupe Concept, an elegant coupé. In this model, the elements that we associate with Volvo today were introduced, from the surfaces shaped with great elegance and sophistication, to the luminous signature provided by the daytime running lights, nicknamed «Thor's hammer», in homage to the Nordic deity.
The first production model to use this new stylistic language was the Volvo XC90 in 2014. Since then we've seen Thomas Ingenlath's solutions “spread” to the S90, V90 and more recently, the new XC60. In the future, this language should gain a more extroverted chapter with the introduction, perhaps later this year, of the XC40. This SUV smaller than the XC60 will also debut the new CMA platform.
Thomas IngenlathIt is a great honor to receive this award from such an influential title as Autocar. Volvo's new design language seeks to convey the best of Scandinavian design, embodying forms with functionality and genuine beauty. It's amazing to see the hard work of everyone involved in design being recognized.
Thomas Ingenlath before joining Volvo in 2012, made his career in the Volkswagen group, where he headed the design department at Skoda between 2000 and 2005, and was in charge of the Volkswagen design studio Potsdam between 2006 and 2012.
