2000 Nissan Xterra Rear Or Back Door Left 2358310 on 2040-parts.com

Ikuo Maeda to replace Laurens van den Acker as General Manager of Design at Mazda

Ikuo Maeda has been appointed General Manager of Mazda Motor Corporation's Design Division. He replaces Laurens van den Acker, who has decided to leave Mazda to pursue other interests. Following on from the successful tenure of van den Acker, Maeda will lead the Japanese automaker's global design team and be responsible for the overall design and styling of Mazda's global products.

Driven: Kia Picanto

The first-generation Kia Picanto was one of the cars that helped promote Kia from the lower half of the second-division to somewhere near the playoff places. Its combination of great value, five-door practicality and vaguely cutesy - if thoroughly unremarkable - design found it many a home on the driveway of those looking for an A-segment hatchback. The second-generation model is playing a rather tougher ballgame.

The Designers, Pt 11 – Sooshin Choi, College for Creative Studies

Car Design News launched its first-ever Car Design Review yearbook at the Geneva Motor Show, featuring the award-winning Production Car and Concept Car Designs of 2013. If you're interested in buying a copy of the 160-page yearbook this interview appears in, alongside trend reports, bespoke car design infographics and a special feature on Marcello Gandini, our inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Car Design Review can be purchased here. Name Sooshin ChoiRole Professor of design, College for Creative StudiesAge, nationality 56, KoreanLocation Michigan, USAEducation Seoul National University, Hong-Ik University, RCA "There were some good production cars in 2013.