Chrysler moves towards a more "organic" look

**rickaren** · #1 (**permalink**) 08-20-2008, 01:22 PM

Gilles announces end to 'Edge' look at Chrysler, in favor of "organic" design

"It's definitely time for a new aesthetic at Chrysler," said newly promoted Chrysler vice president of design Ralph Gilles. "We're done with the 'Edge' look."

Gilles was speaking in an interview at the launch of the 2009 Dodge Ram, the vehicle he believes his design team gave the best interior ever to come out of Chrysler. Gilles was promoted on Monday when former VP Trevor Creed announced his retirement. Gilles will take over September 1.

Gilles' priority will be "getting our cars to be sexy again" and he wants to "get this monkey off our backs on interiors." Accompanying the new Ram in Gilles assault on cheap-looking Chrysler interiors will be redesigned cockpits in the 2009 Jeep Compass and Patriot. As far as exteriors go, he wants to get away from the "Edge" look that has defined recent generations of Chrysler vehicles and move towards a more "organic" look. Gilles gave the Dodge Zeo and Chrysler EcoVoyager concepts as indications of future directions Chrysler designs might go. He also indicated that the cab forward look that was made popular by the Tom Gale era could see new light in the future.
LINK w/pictures:

Gilles announces end to 'Edge' look at Chrysler, in favor of "organic" design | Automotive News Blog - Wide Open Throttle

**rickaren** · #2 (**permalink**) 08-21-2008, 06:38 AM

Ralph Gilles just took over the design responsibilities at Chrysler, but the young designer already has some big plans for the Michigan automaker. Instead of focusing on edgy designs, Gilles says he will move Chrysler more to an ‘organic’ design theme.

“It’s definitely time for a new aesthetic at Chrysler,” Gilles told Automotive News. “We’re done with the ‘Edge’ look.”

That means the ‘edge’ look seen on the Dodge Nitro is out and the organic lines seen on the Dodge Zeo and Chrysler ecoVoyager are in. The move is probably a good one for Chrysler’s as its sales are tanking and flowing lines – such as those seen on the Mercedes CLS and BMW X6 – and starting to dominate the industry.

Gilles ultimate goal is to make Chrysler’s cars “sexy again.”

But his focus won’t be exclusively on exterior design. Gilles is spearheading an effort to “get this monkey off [Chrysler's] backs on interiors,” which will first be seen in Gilles latest creation – the interior of the 2009 Dodge Ram.