In the ever-evolving world of automotive design, few names resonate as profoundly as Jorge Diez. As the visionary Head of Design at CUPRA & SEAT, Diez continually pushes the boundaries of what is possible, blending form and function seamlessly. In this exclusive interview with Schön!, we delve into the creative mind behind CUPRA’s latest triumphs: the breathtaking CUPRA Leon and the trailblazing Formentor. Both vehicles embrace CUPRA’s new design language DNA, characterised by iconic elements that create an even more sporty, bold look, and a unique personality for each model.
Inside, the new CUPRA Leon and Formentor boast progressive materials and an eco-conscious design. The new HMI design is more intuitive, faster, and easier to use, paired with an exceptional sound system that elevates the driving experience.
We sit down with Jorge Diez, who exudes enthusiasm and imagination, as we explore the inspirations, challenges, and innovations that shaped these automotive masterpieces, and discover how CUPRA continues to redefine the landscape of contemporary car design.
What are the main changes that you implemented for the launch of the new CUPRA Leon and Formentor?
We want to create a strong personality on the 3 cars, the personality of the cars is something that we work very much on in CUPRA, we always associate the cars with the human body, like the expression of his eyes or the strong character of the lines. We always combine sculptural surfaces with sharp lines.
We want to design something special, something that stands out from the crowd, something that arouses emotions. That is why we have created iconic elements such as the triangular light signature, the shark-nose design at the front, which creates a very sharp look, or the illuminated logo at the rear that makes the brand recognisable day and night.
In the interior, we improve the quality perception of the 3 models with a completely new centre console with soft padding and thanks to our parametric design we can have a more technical look of the interior. Also, the use of environmentally conscious materials, such as the bucket seat with 73% recycled material, improves the sustainability of the 3 models.
How are style and technology combined in CUPRA?
At CUPRA, we love technology, but we believe in technology that can easily talk to us, it is important to simplify communication with technology, it must be simple and intuitive.
That is why we are designing a completely new HMI with driver-focused ergonomics for easy access, customisable dials and a new illuminated Clima so you can see at night and not take your eyes off the road.
How important is the individuality and style of each CUPRA user? Do you take this into consideration in the design?
For us, it is very important to keep the balance between consistency of the brand and always creating something new, so we believe that every product of CUPRA has the same DNA but a different personality, like brothers and sisters in a family who have the same DNA but each show a different way of being, so in CUPRA you will see more differences between the models, That is why in CUPRA you will see more differences between the models, so you will always keep the “wow” effect because you will always discover something new in our cars, something that can provoke emotions when you see them for the first time on the road. At the same time, you will keep the consistency of the brand thanks to the fact that they all have something in common, in this case the triangular light signature will be transversal to all the models.
What is more important for CUPRA – originality or personality?
For us, personality is a stronger word, because personality is what defines us as people and we do the same with cars. For us, cars are a very special machine, because you share time and experiences with us, when you remember a car you do not remember.
A piece of metal, you remember the experience you had with it. Strong personality is the basis of who you are, authentic, different, confident of yourself and in the end this personality makes you original and unique.
What comes next for Cupra?
In CUPRA and as designers we always work ahead of time, we need to project ourselves in the future and even if we can not comment on future projects it is important to say that we will have an even stronger portfolio and always be full of emotions.
We are investigating what makes you feel emotions in life and we will soon implement new models starting in September with the next surprise of CUPRA, always authentic, always bold with the mission to create desire.
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photography. Courtesy of Cupra
