GM Korea to Double Size of Design Center

General Motors Korea will double the size of its Bupyeong vehicle design center, adding more than 50 designers and technicians to its staff, President and CEO Sergio Rocha says.

It will be part of an overall investment of 1.5 trillion won ($1.27 billion) in vehicle engineering and facilities improvements at GM Korea this year.

“This significant investment is a reflection of GM's strong design expertise in Korea and the vital work carried out here for the global General Motors family,” Rocha tells reporters during a press briefing at the Busan motor show.

The design center expansion will add new modeling studios, design and vehicle display areas, digital equipment and creative studios to the present facility.

Rocha says the center will provide GM worldwide with expertise in exterior and interior vehicle styling, and the advanced digital design and engineering that produced the successful designs for the Chevrolet Cruze, Aveo and Spark minicar.

The Bupyeong design center, working with GM Korea’s advanced design center in Seoul, also developed the Chevrolet Miray EV concept sports car. The electric vehicle was shown at the Seoul auto show in 2011 and later at major motor shows around the world.

The center is one of 10 in an integrated network of fully equipped design facilities operated by GM in the U.S., Germany, China, Australia, Brazil and India, in addition to Korea.

“The GM Korea design center plays a very important role in GM's global design organization,” says Ed Welburn, GM vice president-global design. “Its expansion will create an environment for team members to dream, create and develop design strategies for GM's future product portfolio.”