- New Head of Design for Citroën and DS.
- Appointment effective 2 November 2026.
- Reports to Stellantis design head Gilles Vidal.
- Pierre Leclercq moves to Opel and Vauxhall.
- Mark Adams retiring from Opel and Vauxhall.
Stellantis has reshuffled the design leadership of three of its European brands, with Sandeep Bhambra taking charge of design at both Citroën and DS Automobiles from 2 November 2026. He succeeds Pierre Leclercq at Citroën and Thierry Metroz at DS, and will report to Gilles Vidal, Head of Design for Stellantis’ European brands.
Bhambra also joins the management teams of both brands under Xavier Chardon, who serves as CEO of Citroën and DS Automobiles.
Leclercq and Metroz take new roles
Leclercq moves to Opel and Vauxhall as Head of Design, replacing Mark Adams, who is retiring. Metroz will support Vidal on design strategy for Europe.
Chardon said the arrival of Bhambra “marks a new step in our ambition to strengthen the identity and appeal of our brands”. Vidal described his background as one “combining creativity, strong product expertise and a strategic vision of design”.
Sandeep Bhambra’s career from India to Peugeot
Bhambra started out in 2003 at Mahindra and Mahindra in India. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pune and holds a Masters in Transportation Design from Strate in France, later working at Tata Technologies and Tata Motors in India and the UK.
In 2010 he joined Peugeot Design in Vélizy as an Exterior Designer. Over more than ten years there, he worked on the second-generation Peugeot 2008 and 5008, the Onyx concept, early development of the third-generation 3008 and the Citroën Ami.
Renault concept cars and awards
A move to Renault Group followed in 2021, where he became Chief Designer, Advanced Design & Concept Cars. His projects there included Scénic Vision, Emblème, R17 Ora Ito, Estafette Concept, Twingo 4, Filante Record 2025, Bridger, R-Space Lab and the R5 Turbo 3E limited series. In 2025 he also took responsibility for the Renault India Design Studio.
His work has earned a Red Dot Design Award for the Peugeot 2008 in 2020, along with several awards for the Onyx concept, the R5 Turbo 3E and Twingo 4. Since April 2026, he has been Vice President Design Strategy Europe at Stellantis, the post he holds until the new appointment takes effect on 2 November 2026.
Supplied by Newspress UK (Citroën)
This story is based on aggregated news, press release(s) or other sources and was prepared with the help of AI tools, which can make mistakes. Prices, specifications, general information and availability may change, so confirm the details with the manufacturer, other news sources or a dealer.
Enjoyed this story? We need your help.
Add Saffarazzi as a preferred source. You’ll see more of our stories on Google, and you’ll help us grow.