Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) has announced it has appointed former Porsche engineer Manfred Harrer as executive vice president and head of the newly-established Genesis & Performance Development Tech Unit, which comes under the Research & Development (R&D) Division of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation.

Mr Harrer has worked as an engineer in the automotive and technology industries since 1997, for companies including Audi, BMW, Porsche and Apple in areas such as chassis development, electronic systems, software development, full vehicle integration and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

HMG said it anticipates Harrer’s leadership will help drive the group’s electrification transition and help it secure “top-tier leadership in the electric vehicle (EV) era and enhancing the marketability of Hyundai Motor and Kia’s products”.

In particular, Mr Harrer’s expertise and leadership capabilities are expected to bolster HMG’s “R&D competitiveness and drive the development of Genesis products, while enhancing the performance of Hyundai Motor and Kia vehicles as they transition into the electrification era”.

Heui Won Yang, President of the Hyundai-Kia R&D Division, said in a statement “the appointment of Manfred Harrer as Executive Vice President and Head of the Genesis & Performance Development Tech Unit will greatly benefit HMG products, enhancing the image and reputation of our mobility brands. As a world-renowned performance vehicle expert, Manfred will contribute significantly to the development of future Genesis luxury high-performance models, as well as our transition to electrification for Hyundai Motor and Kia brands”.