The news follows the announcement at the start of the year that Mr Schreyer had been appointed as the first-ever non-Korean president of Kia.

In his new role, he will lead the long-term design vision and strategy for Hyundai and Kia, and help further cement the two brands’ differentiation strategies based on their brand directions.

In a statement, Woong-Chul Yang, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D Centre in Korea, said that strengthening the group’s fundamentals, especially in the area of design, is imperative to secure long-term competitiveness: ‘Design is not just the most visible aspect of the car, but it’s an area customers have a strong emotional connection to. It is at the centre of our efforts to enhance our brand value.’

He added: ‘Mr Schreyer brings a wealth of experience in design from the global auto industry and has a deep understanding of the Hyundai Motor Group. These valuable qualities will help build the foundation needed to make Hyundai and Kia leading global top automakers.’

Hyundai and Kia have both seen sharp rises in sales in recent years, helped by the launch of their design philosophies, “Fluidic Sculpture” and “The simplicity of the straight line”.