Volkswagen Group design chief Andreas Mindt says the industry's drift toward aggressive front ends has gone too far, and he wants the brands under his control to move in the opposite direction.vw s wants cars with friendlier facesIn an interview with Autoweek, Mindt dismissed the trend of intimidating styling as "nonsense," arguing that there is no good reason for a car to look like it was built to pick a fight.Mindt said some automakers deliberately give their models threatening faces because it works in traffic, with other drivers moving aside when they spot an aggressive-looking vehicle closing in. "Car brands do this because they want to be cool. VW doesn't want that," he said.AdvertisementAdvertisement"You can think you're the strongest, but if you're not, then that's nonsense. Why not give cars a friendly look? I want to live in a friendly world. I don't want to live in a world with cars that look like they were designed to kill zombies. I really don't want to live in a stupid world like that."His argument extends beyond aesthetics into how drivers see one another as Europe's EV transition accelerates. Mindt said design can reinforce a divide between electric and combustion owners, and he wants to avoid it. "When it comes to car design, you shouldn't take one side or the other," he said, adding that a better message to holdouts is: "Look, gas prices are really high right now, aren't they? Why don't you give it a try?" He called dividing society along those lines "really bad."vw s wants cars with friendlier facesMindt also concedes VW went too far in the other direction with its earlier electric models. The deliberately futuristic look was meant to signal a break with the past, but he now believes an EV does not need to look radically different to advertise its powertrain.It is the same position BMW has held with its unified styling across combustion and electric models. Mindt was blunt about the pre-facelift ID.3, saying it "doesn't look like a real VW. You don't see VW's DNA in it. It might just as well be from another brand."AdvertisementAdvertisementThe recently launched ID.3 Neo is meant to correct that with styling that avoids screaming "EV." Like the smaller ID. Polo, the compact hatchback also restores physical controls and drops the touch slider, a change VW attributes to customer feedback.Aggressive design will not disappear entirely across the group. Mindt noted that different brands are supposed to carry different personalities, pointing to Lamborghini and Cupra as cases where dramatic, aggressive styling fits the character. His softer approach applies to the core VW brand.Mindt took over as Head of Group Design on March 1, adding oversight of design across the entire Volkswagen Group to his existing role leading design at the VW brand.Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletterhere.