The Return of a Familiar Vision: Volvo’s Safest Cars May Reconnect with Their Classic Design Roots

Volvo Cars has confirmed that Thomas Ingenlath is coming back to the company. Starting February 1, 2026, he will take on the role of Chief Design Officer and join Volvo’s Executive Management Team. In this position, Ingenlath will oversee the brand’s global design organization across the entire product lineup — a clear signal that Volvo once again sees design as a key competitive advantage in the premium market, especially as electrification accelerates.

For Volvo, this is far from a random appointment. Ingenlath previously served as Senior Vice President of Design and played a major role in shaping the brand’s modern “Scandinavian” identity. Calm proportions, clean surfaces, and distinctive lighting signatures became hallmarks of Volvo design during his earlier tenure. He later went on to lead Polestar, where he effectively built a design-driven electric brand from the ground up, turning bold concepts into production cars in a highly competitive global market. That experience is particularly relevant today, as buyers increasingly choose electric vehicles not just for battery range or software, but for the personality a car communicates at first glance.

In its announcement, Volvo emphasized that design will continue to be a defining factor as the company moves toward a future of “premium electric mobility.” Read between the lines, and it suggests an ambition not merely to launch new models, but to preserve emotional brand recognition at a time when platforms and technologies across the industry are becoming more alike.

Volvo also thanked Nicholas Gronenthal, who had been leading global design on an interim basis, and announced his new role as Head of Design for the Americas. Overall, the leadership reshuffle appears to be about strengthening the design team rather than reacting to any sudden shift in strategy.