Peter Schreyer and Albert Biermann, the two executives most responsible for the look and feel, respectively, of current Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis cars, are both stepping away from their current roles, Hyundai Motor Group confirmed Friday in a press release.

A former engineering boss of BMW M, Biermann joined Hyundai in April 2015 and was initially tasked with overseeing development of performance cars. Biermann applied his knowledge to a range of sporty vehicles, from the Kia Stinger to Hyundai's growing range of N models.

"Thank God for Albert Biermann," Senior Editor Kirk Bell declared after stepping out of a 2022 Hyundai Elantra N, a Motor Authority Best Car To Buy 2022 nominee. So much for that.

Peter Schreyer

Peter Schreyer

In 2018, Biermann was named President and Head of R&D for Hyundai Motor Group, overseeing development of the E-GMP dedicated EV platform that is set to underpin a long list of models, starting with the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 2022 Kia EV6.

While Biermann is retiring from his role as R&D boss, he will remain an executive technical advisor, Hyundai said. Chung Kook Park has been appointed as the new head of Hyundai's R&D division.

A former Audi designer, Peter Schreyer joined Hyundai Motor Group in 2006. He's best known for imbuing Kia with a distinct style and launching the brand's "tiger nose" grille. He also oversaw the automaker's other brands as design boss before moving up to President of Design Management in 2018, ceding his old job to former Bentley designer Luc Donckerwolke. Like Biermann, Schreyer will remain an advisor. He'll be replaced by SangYup Lee, who replaced Donckerwolke as design boss in 2020.