Pierre Leclercq – designer of BMW X5 and X6 joins GWM

By TURBOII030 2014-02-11

Great Wall wants to be producing 1.5m cars by 2015 and aims to be number one in the world in terms of SUV sales by 2020, and Leclercq stresses the importance of markets such as South America in achieving their long-term targets.

He and his team are currently working on a show car that will be unveiled at the Beijing auto show next year.

Speaking about his plans for the future, he says, “I truly hope to look back in a couple of years having achieved something substantial in the product portfolio and in the team building. A strong design for the brand and inspiring to other companies.”

Pierre Leclercq, designer of the original BMW X5 and X6, started his new role as Vice President of Design at Great Wall Motors on July 1, 2013. He is responsible for the nearly 50 creative designers as well as modellers working in the automaker’s main studio in Baoding and is currently spearheading the development of a new Shanghai-based advanced design center that will house 22 more.

“Great Wall is opening completely new facilities in Shanghai,” Leclercq told Form Trends in an exclusive interview. “Shanghai is a great place to have a satellite studio, and we are in a great location.”

根据长城旗下哈弗品牌的发展规划，2020年将形成哈弗、Jeep、路虎全球三大专业SUV汽车品牌。长城汽车董事长魏建军此前在接受媒体采访时表示“哈弗汽车将在2年内连续推出8款SUV，以形成丰富产品阵容”。同时在新车的造型设计上，长城汽车也聘请了前宝马设计总监皮埃尔·勒克莱克(Pierre Leclercq)，任职长城汽车副总裁兼设计总监，从而为旗下SUV车型打造出更为惊艳的外观设计。据长城设计中心内部人士向网通社透露：勒克莱克加盟长城后，将为哈弗品牌重新塑造SUV，并进行家族化的DNA设计。

此前皮埃尔·勒克莱克曾在宝马公司任职多年，自2000年他从福特汽车转投宝马，最先在位于美国的洛杉矶设计工作室，参与多项宝马车型的美国本土化设计工作；于2005年转战宝马慕尼黑工作室，亲自操刀完成了首款跨级SAV车型X6的外观设计；并先后主导设计了全新一代X5 M、X6M等一系列车型。

正是由于勒克莱克具备宝马X5和X6等大型SUV的设计经验，对于以SUV为主的哈弗品牌来说无疑将有着至关重要的作用。在他任职长城设计总监后，将负责带领保定和上海两个共155人的设计团队开展工作，并直接向董事长魏建军汇报。据长城设计中心内部人士透露，在今年北京车展上有望看到哈弗推出全新概念车。