New design directors for Peugeot, Citroen

FRENCH manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroen has appointed Gilles Vidal as design director for Peugeot and Thierry Metroz as his opposite number at Citroen.

In a statement, PSA said both men will report to group design director Jean-Pierre Ploue and that the appointments demonstrate Mr Ploue’s commitment to “clearly differentiating the two brands”.

Mr Vidal’s work has come into focus this month with the unveiling of a new version of the lion badge that will adorn Peugeot’s cars – a more industrial carnivore that will be first used in production on the RCZ, which launches in April – and the SR1 concept, a car that will be shown at Geneva in March and was built to showcase the marque’s new design language.

From left: Peugeot design director Gilles Vidal, PSA Peugeot Citroen group design director Jean-Pierre Ploue and Thierry Metroz, Citroen design director (right).

Mr Vidal, 37, has been working on Peugeot’s new look with Mr Ploue for the best part of a decade, joining the group in 1996 and spending nine years revamping the line-up. Since early last year, he has been in charge of concept cars and developing a new design language for the brand with Mr Ploue.

Other than the SR1, his recent work can also be seen in the BB1 concept.

With Mr Ploue overseeing both brands, Mr Metroz, 46, has been brought in to have a unique focus on Citroen. He has spent his entire career in automobile design, most recently as director of exterior design for Renault.