Volkswagen Wants to be the Nice Guy of Car Design

Modern sports car designs seem to have slits for eyes, huge grilles and spoilers, and bulging fender flares. But Volkswagen is agin all that.

Speaking with Top Gear, Volkswagen’s head of design, Andy Mindt, said the team and company favour friendlier designs. He said that most people don’t want to appear aggressive in public.

They prefer a tidy appearance and like to impart optimistic vibes. VW “want to be the nice guys.”

That’s reflected in their recent designs, like ID.Buzz and their new SUVs. Even sporty models like GTI don’t look all that angry amongst their rivals.

Mindt added that the company is putting much of its energy into its next-generation interiors. Cabins will reject cheap trim pieces in favour of high-quality materials.

“We’re going to…put the money instead into fabrics and improving quality,” he said, “which helps save money and means we can use it elsewhere.”

VW recently debuted the 2025 Golf R. One of the most anticipated new models is an electric GTI, which the company says will be “more exciting” to drive than the gas version.