Fayez is a platform integration specialist.
SEOUL: Hyundai has recruited a key engineer from BMW to work on developing its Genesis architecture.
Fayez Abdul Rahman, 58, was appointed to lead planning for vehicle specification and performance from the earliest stages of vehicle development. He started work at Genesis on Nov 1.
The platform integration specialist previously led concept and platform architecture development for several model lines at BMW AG in Germany, including the 7 Series, X models and high-performance M brand vehicles. At Genesis, Fayez would initially focus on enhancing performance and quality for Hyundai's luxury sub-brand.
Genesis is also expected to apply the knowledge to Hyundai cars, enabling them to compete with Europe’s leading premium car makers.
"We want to develop a flexible and future-oriented vehicle architecture that is unique to Hyundai Motor Group, to secure competitiveness, especially in the areas of vehicle performance and quality," said Fayez.
Fayez, a German, began working for BMW in 1986 as a CAD/CAS engineer. He now joins BMW M executive Albert Biermann, 60, who defected to Hyundai in 2015.
At the time, Biermann was Hyundai's second-highest foreign executive after design chief Peter Schreyer.
In September this year, Biermann, who have spent over 30 years with BMW, told Australian media that German car makers had downplayed motorsports for some time and focused instead on product marketing, lambasting them for "adding too much tech and nonsense."
