First Sight Q&A: Jozef Kabaň on the MG Cyber

At the now world-famous extravaganza on England’s south coast, the MG Go! B-segment sporty supermini and D-segment Cyber large crossover coupé were revealed in full-size exterior form on the historic British marque’s busy stand, which also featured a troupe of robots intermittently dancing to very loud music by Bruno Mars overseen by an associated human emcee.

 This could have tripped up a less seasoned interviewer but amid the noise, heat and hullabaloo Car Design News battled through and recorded half an hour of wise words from the mouth of MG’s global design VP Jozef Kabaň about the bigger Cyber future flagship. Here are the edited highlights…

Car Design News: This Cyber SUV Coupé concept looks large and swoopy, but will it have good passenger room?

Jozef Kabaň: Yes, it’s still spacious inside. The car is a bit under five metres long, elevated, sporty and a little bit of a pioneer as well. It’s about testing innovations. Inside, we need lots of innovation, but we are not showing them here. We want a step-by-step focus outside – and then we go in.

CDN: When will you show the Cyber’s interior?

JK: I don’t know exactly, because there’s still some way to go. We want to keep the people with us and do our job properly to keep them happy.

CDN: This line from the rear over the broad rear wheel arches, viewed in plan shape seems especially strong. It makes the cabin appear quite tucked in, and quite narrow in relation to the body. 

JK: It could be good for mountain trips and probably still have enough space. You’d buy it because you want to have fun and it be your everyday car, although it’s more about moving emotions than moving storage.

CDN: It’s notable for very clean surfacing up close too. There are not many sharp creases other than the line extending rearward from the MG badge behind the front wheel arch. Does the vent below it hide function? Can air really pass through?

JK: Proper air. Yeah.

CDN: Because I’m so sick and tired of fake air vents. And if your car’s design is fake, what does that say about the brand? It’s inauthentic and I find that problematic. 

JK: Authentic is not only about standing for something but about being honest. We always dream to be a bit better than we are. But if your dream is built only on pretending to be something, you will never be happy. Be who you are and work on it.

CDN: I know you quite well from your Skoda days and such inauthenticity is not really you is it? 

JK: No, personally I’m anti fake things. In most companies these situations are not usually planned, but you can get to a point when something functional becomes fake just because they end up having to cut cost, or I don’t know what.

CDN: Is it a lack of design power within an organisation? Because I can’t believe any designer would push for such fakery? 

JK: No, but it’s maybe not only that. Certain things can go wrong and you teach your systems to avoid these situations as much possible. Because even a low-cost car can’t really feel proud if its design ‘pretends’ too much.

CDN: What is the rough timeline for a production version of this car? With ‘China speed’ everyone wants new vehicles quick, quick, quick. And you’re part of a Chinese company now. Is it something we will see as early as 2027? 

JK: Next year maybe we can drive it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The question is not only one of timing, but where we want to present it. That’s a strategic decision.

CDN: And will these models be Europe-only cars? 

JK: No, they’ll be international. India is a massive future market. Being there and known is already very important. Mexico is in the top eight countries for the marque and Mexican people know MG from as far back as the 1960s. They’re connected and they love the brand. And it’s the same in Brazil and Malaysia. When you travel around, you see it. MG is diverse. We need to make it work in most places, but it’s not always easy.

CDN: Is UX an area you get involved with or do you leave that to other designers?

JK: I do get involved, but it’s so complex and deep you cannot fully have control over it. You have to trust experts because you could become a problem if you want to control everything, because you will slow down the system.

CDN: I was driving the Cyberster recently and as it’s such an excellent car you almost forgive its weak UX, but on more day-to-day cars, UX has to be better integrated surely? 

JK: I mean you’re right. But even if you do many things right, we will still make some mistakes. We need only to understand that mistakes are part of our life and learn from them. If you learn to fix things quicker, then the mistakes don’t stay being a problem. The problem is if you ignore them. Or if the culture doesn’t learn to take responsibility.

CDN: That’s very philosophical of you, as always. 

JK: It’s what I believe is the truth.