Aston Martin hires VW Group veteran to lead exterior design

Tobias Sühlmann is credited with designing the Volkswagen Arteon and latest Touareg.

Aston Martin has hired Volkswagen Group veteran Tobias Sühlmann to serve as its head of exterior design.

As noted by Motor1, Sühlmann is credited with leading design efforts for the new VW Arteon sedan and latest Touareg SUV.

The designer's latest role at VW Group was a brief stint as head of Bugatti exterior design. His time at Bugatti started just last year, after Sasha Selipanov had already led the Chiron project before jumping ship to join Hyundai's Genesis division.

Sühlmann arrives at Aston Martin as the British marque prepares to launch no less than seven new models by 2025. Chief executive Andy Palmer has expressed a particularly strong interest in bringing more Lagonda models to market, including a boldly styled all-electric SUV.

Sühlmann and his predecessor, design director Miles Nurnberger, will report to chief creative officer Marek Reichman as the fast-paced development schedule moves forward.