Currently reading: VW designer struggles with Golf

VW design chief is worried about where to take the styling of the MkVII Golf

Volkswagen group chief designer Walter de Silva has claimed he doesn’t sleep at night when he thinks of how to design the seventh-generation VW Golf.

The sixth-generation Golf was launched earlier this year with only minor changes over the outgoing model. Although he didn’t give anything away about the styling of the next-gen Golf, he did admit it was causing him sleepless nights.

“When I think about the Golf VII, I do not sleep at night,” he said. De Silva had minimal influence in styling the current Golf, but he admits the next model will be his greatest challenge.

The Italian also described the styling of the recently-launched VW Polo, claiming it is “simple”.

“The new Polo is a simple and honest shape and designing simplicity is much more difficult than overdesign with decoration,” he said.

De Silva also claimed the stresses of the job, which he started in February 2007, have led him to spending more time in the past two years with VW group CEO Martin Winterkorn than with his wife.

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