Klaus Zyciora began his career in the team that designed the interior of the Golf IV in the 90s
Klaus Zyciora is the design director of the Volkswagen Group no less. And behind him he leaves an important path, since since the Volkswagen Golf IV he has participated in countless projects. First in Wolfsburg and now for the entire German giant consisting of 10 brands.
His first steps as a recent graduate in art from the University of Braunschweig in 1989 were in the team that shaped the interior of the Golf IV, although little by little he has advanced: after having worked in exterior design, he became Head of Design of Interiors in 2000 and Exterior Design in 2002.
In 2007 he became the head of Design at Volkswagen and suddenly found himself with a team of 600 designers in places as disparate as Wolfsburg, Shanghai, Sao Paulo and Mexico, although perhaps the biggest step in his career was in April. 2020, when he became the Head of Design for the entire Group.
Undoubtedly, Klaus Zyciora has been part of our lives almost without knowing it: such important cars as the Golf VI, VII and VIII, the Touareg, Tiguan, T-Roc, as well as the entire current family of electric cars, have come out of his team. that debuted with the ID.3 a couple of years ago and is now growing with the ID.Buzz.
And precisely, in front of the new ID.Buzz, we had the opportunity to interview him in which we asked him about his past, present and, without a doubt, about the future.
Auto Bild Spain: It started with the fourth generation Golf. What was your contribution?
Klaus Zyciora: Yes, more or less. When you start, you are new to a company and you have to learn a lot. I did a lot of projects, but it took me a long time to be able to say that something was mine.
For example, the Golf V was mine, the Touran and many others. But the important thing for me is that you have to learn a lot and work a lot as a team. To create a car you need that, a lot of teamwork.
As a designer, you aspire to create a brand, to take it in the direction that you believe. And that was my idea, to create incredible products. With the passage of time the successes came and more work was put on my shoulders, also more people, so I had to learn to be a manager almost overnight.
ABE: How do you see current design trends? Those interiors without buttons? Do you think they are better from the point of view of ergonomics or safety?
KZ: I think maybe we pushed ourselves a little too hard to get into a buttonless future, that’s true. It is something that is not easy for customers to accept, and it is something that we learned.
But also, with the updates that are coming or will come [como por ejemplo el software 3.0]the idea we have is that it will be more adapted to life.
Digital interiors allow improvements and upgrades; you also have multiple devices that you can configure: in the past, when you bought a radio, it had a series of buttons, and something to turn on… No more functionalities.
With the touch screens you can design multiple surfaces, interfaces, functionalities… You can also download applications. The product grows with the customer, and that’s something you can only do with touch devices.
ABE: And how do you think these are going to behave in a while?
KZ: The screens will grow, the contents also according to the demands of the public. If you look at China, America, and also Europe, you see it. Imagine a life without a mobile: impossible for many.
Admittedly, millions of people are growing up with an app architecture, with touch devices. They are connected, they have multiple information, technologies… That is allowing a different life. And we will see more and more of this in the future.
A future in which you will not have to drive: Surely car systems will become more and more entertainment systems. When you are in autonomous mode, you may want to play games, watch a movie, the news, listen to music… The car will become a multi-modal recreational center.
ABE: So, is the use of the car changing? Is it something completely different today than it was 50 years ago or is it the same story but adapted to the new times?
KZ: Things are changing. Both the devices and the cars carry a very strong and very expensive investment. Volkswagen wants to make mobility accessible.
Using a car or having one requires freedom of choice: where you go, what you want to do. Mobility is freedom and the car is a freedom machine.
And each time it will make you freer because it will free you from doing things; is is great. The self-driving car will do the work for you over long distances if you want, but it doesn’t have to. And that is comfort, utility and that people are going to adopt.
ABE: The ID.Buzz is very close to T1. How can these two worlds be united? Past and future, what are the main lines that are reminiscent of the original?
KZ: It’s relatively easy. A Volkswagen van is functional. From front to back it’s pure functionality. And that is a timeless concept. A solid minivan, clean surfaces.
To reinterpret it, the most obvious thing is the horizontal division of color as in the front… It reflects sympathy and is timeless. The T1 is an icon and I hope this product will play the same role in the future.
ABE: What was the most difficult part of designing the ID.Buzz?
KZ: The hardest part was getting the proportions. In T1 you sit on top of the wheels and your legs are in front; you are in the shock zone. In today’s car you need other things that we have learned over decades. You need a secure architecture and at the same time create this form.
We’ve shortened the overhang as much as possible and moved the windshield forward as far as possible so they meet somewhere in the middle. We also had to fight with the aerodynamics: in a format like this it’s a bit complicated.
The main goal was to create a compact and super-functional car. This one is between the Touran and the Sharan in size, but it has the interior of a Multivan T6. That means it provides customer value, plenty of luggage space.
My goal was also to create an experience while driving. Sometimes we forget that there is also a quiet trip, and this product offers this.
And that is achieved with the silent driving provided by the electric motor. You also have a spacious atmosphere, you sit up high and you see everything very well… You think that all that is great and you relax. You even listen to music in a different way because many noises disappear. And on top of that, it’s compact and roomy.
ABE: When did this ID.Buzz project start?
KZ: It started 21 years ago. I also worked on the first Electric Microbus shown at the Detroit Motor Show in 2017. It never left my desk, even though the managers couldn’t see it. Too far away, too complicated… but in the end it turned out to be the future of the brand.
ABE: In a combustion car, tolls are paid, such as air intakes, grilles… And in an electric car?
KZ: There isn’t much of that here because the engine is small and has a lot of power. In a combustion engine you need radiators, air intakes… It’s a different game. Efficiency is sought here, good aerodynamics.
ABE: So is it very different to design an Arteon than an ID?
KZ: In an Arteon or a Passat, you have the engine: a third of the length or so is for the engine. It doesn’t matter here. You have a spacious cabin. Spot.
Then there’s the battery… Well, you pay a little for the height, but people like to sit up high and look out the window from a high position. And you can get in and out more easily, you don’t have to throw yourself on the seat. It is comfortable.
ABE: Do you think an electrician can become an icon?
KZ: Yes, I think so. It is the work that designers have to do. The steps we have to take. In this new world of mobility, it is a great opportunity to rethink the character or expression of the brand you work for. Find something new because it is a different product.
Staying with the design that you had in combustion cars is probably wrong, because people don’t perceive it as a new type of mobility. You have to be brave and move forward, do something different and take the risk that people will say “no”, but there will also be those who say “OK, I accept the game”.
ABE: You are working on the future. In what future?
KZ: As a designer, you work in a time tunnel, about 10 years ahead. It’s a cool part, because you’re surrounded by the future. But you come home to the past
ABE: Are you drawing 2030?
KZ: Yes, that. And also you have to think about later because it’s like chess, you have to think about the moves that will come.
