After Volvo teased a single note from an auto-centric chime on Facebook not long ago under the hashtag "360c" and saying, "Could this be the sound of your future ride?," the Swedes return with a longer, more compelling riddle. This time, a 13-second video reveals a portion of the light signature and the shape of whatever the 360c is — and by the looks of it, this will not be an autonomous excavator. The tagline accompanying the video is, "Coming soon: our vision for the future of travel. Could time spent travelling become time well spent? #360c."
The clip opens with the light design at the front of the vehicle coming to life, an illuminated Volvo logo in the center of a solid valance beneath dual light pipes extending to the edge of the vehicle. A small flic, also lit up, extends past the vehicle's edge; it could be a rearview camera. Then the video switches to a pan of the 360c's rear corner, revealing taillights reminiscent of those on the S60. Above that, where the upper surface of the vehicle slopes to meet the taillight, a fin extends to square off the space. The edge of the fin gets a red LED, and an illuminated white "360" on its main surface.
From that back aspect, it appears we're looking down the length of the car, because the rearview camera appears in the blurry background, and you can see what look like two protruding wheel arches. If that's really the case, the 360c will present an unconventional shape; right now it looks like a squared capsule on wheels.
The shortest odds bet the 360c will preview self-driving tech with an EV powertrain. But considering our guess about the concept's shape, we think there'll be more than that — something evolving Volvo's idea of how autonomous transport will accommodate riders. The last we saw of that was the Concept 26 from 2015, which transformed a traditional automobile cabin between three phases: Drive, Create, and Relax. We wouldn't be surprised if the 360c went the other way, displaying a cabin focused on full autonomy that, perhaps, made limited concession to driving. According to GoAuto, the teasing won't last too much longer — supposedly Volvo's going to get loose lips "within days."
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The clip opens with the light design at the front of the vehicle coming to life, an illuminated Volvo logo in the center of a solid valance beneath dual light pipes extending to the edge of the vehicle. A small flic, also lit up, extends past the vehicle's edge; it could be a rearview camera. Then the video switches to a pan of the 360c's rear corner, revealing taillights reminiscent of those on the S60. Above that, where the upper surface of the vehicle slopes to meet the taillight, a fin extends to square off the space. The edge of the fin gets a red LED, and an illuminated white "360" on its main surface.
From that back aspect, it appears we're looking down the length of the car, because the rearview camera appears in the blurry background, and you can see what look like two protruding wheel arches. If that's really the case, the 360c will present an unconventional shape; right now it looks like a squared capsule on wheels.
The shortest odds bet the 360c will preview self-driving tech with an EV powertrain. But considering our guess about the concept's shape, we think there'll be more than that — something evolving Volvo's idea of how autonomous transport will accommodate riders. The last we saw of that was the Concept 26 from 2015, which transformed a traditional automobile cabin between three phases: Drive, Create, and Relax. We wouldn't be surprised if the 360c went the other way, displaying a cabin focused on full autonomy that, perhaps, made limited concession to driving. According to GoAuto, the teasing won't last too much longer — supposedly Volvo's going to get loose lips "within days."
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