François Leboine announced as new design boss of Fiat and Abarth

Dutch multinational carmaker Stellantis has appointed François Leboine as the new head of design for Fiat and Abarth.

Reporting directly to Jean-Pierre Ploué, Stellantis’s chief design officer, Leboine will be responsible for ushering in a new aesthetic era for the celebrated Italian marques.

The Frenchman may only be 46 years old, but he’s already accomplished a lot in the world of automotive design.

A graduate of London’s Royal College of Art, Leboine previously headed up Renault Advanced Design and is responsible for cars like the Renault Megane III and Renault Clio IV.

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François Leboine

Leboine is also the man responsible for the brilliant-looking Renault 5 EV Concept we saw at the start of 2021.

And if that weren’t enough of a CV, Leboine designed the latest iteration of the one-and-only Dacia Sandero – a car popularised by James May of Top Gear.

It’s hoped that Leboine will turn Fiat’s financial fortunes around, with the Italian carmaker witnessing one of the biggest sales decreases of any carmaker in the last decade.

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The Renault 5 Prototype

Olivier Francois, Fiat and Abarth CEO, said it was encouraging to see the Frenchman on board and the design of the Italian brands’ new cars would play a pivotal role in its sales success.

"I am really excited to welcome François Leboine to the world of Fiat in a moment that is so full of opportunities with the power and scale of the new Group,” the CEO said.

“Designing new Fiat and Abarth cars is key to expressing our full potential for customers around the world.’’