Renault Loses Its Magic Pencil!
This page is translated from the original post "Renault perd son crayon magique !" in French.
- 26/07/2025 15:01
Star designer Gilles Vidal leaves Renault for an unexpected return to his roots at Stellantis.
This is a significant blow for Renault. Gilles Vidal, its design director since 2020, is leaving the diamond brand to return to Stellantis. A true craftsman of Renault’s stylistic transformation, Vidal was seen as one of the cornerstones of the renewal initiated by former CEO Luca de Meo.
The designer will join Stellantis next October to oversee the design of all the group’s European brands, including Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, and Opel… A vast portfolio, ranging from city cars to commercial vehicles, which he will need to harmonize without erasing each brand’s unique identity. He succeeds Jean-Pierre Ploué, another historical figure in automotive design, who is leaving the company.
For Gilles Vidal, Stellantis means a return to his roots, having spent 25 years within the PSA group, notably at Citroën, but especially at Peugeot, where he designed the acclaimed silhouette of the SUV 3008 back in 2009. His sleek, modern, and functional style earned him five “Car of the Year” titles throughout his career.
After de Meo, the deluge?
At Renault, he had orchestrated a discreet yet significant upscale move, with highlights including the taut lines of the electric Scenic and the assertive elegance of the Rafale. Two models that have helped enhance Renault’s image during de Meo’s era, who recently left to lead the luxury sector of the Kering group.
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With this departure, Renault loses more than just a designer; it loses a vector of stylistic coherence and product attractiveness, at a time when the brand seeks to stabilize its course.
For Stellantis, Vidal’s arrival is a strategic maneuver. In such a vast group, where the readability of the ranges remains a challenge, the designer’s European experience and vision appear to be significant assets.
It remains to be seen if Gilles Vidal’s magic pencil will work wonders once again, this time in a much more complex context.
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