A practical design must look good, but the interior must be functional for comfort, especially in the perspective of a future that could see vehicles (including autonomous ones) on the road transformed into real living spaces on wheels. Some “lounge cars”.
And it is precisely the concept of the lounge car that was inspired Roman Zenin, English designer and creative. Zenin is currently in charge of designing Land Rover bodies, but he tried to imagine a Volvo of the future with his criteria. He did it as part of his project for the University of Pforzheim, also spending six months on an internship at the Volvo style center in Gothenburg.
More man, less machine
“Volvo Think inside the box” is the Volvo lounge car imagined by Zenin. And it is all based on a fundamental philosophy that aims to develop a synergy with open space, in which the car is a tailor-made private area, not a vehicle. A place for relaxation, office work, recreation with friends and family AND commuting.
This special two-seater, in particular, envelops passengers in a truly comfortable space: a large entertainment display replaces the windscreen. A large sofa-like seat with plenty of legroom transforms the interior into a lounge. And it allows you to enjoy your time while the car makes its route!
Lounge furniture solutions, like in campers
The (how to define it? coffee table? desk?) piece of furniture present in the lounge car changes its configuration to meet the needs of the passenger. It can rotate and expand, or move up and down. The modular console can be used as a table or transformed into a desk for more work-oriented tasks like checking email on your laptop. Under the top surface there is space to store accessories, books or anything else. There is another drawer-like cabinet under the front entertainment display for storing things like clothes. Everything is governed by a sort of physical widget, a sort of interface borrowed from digital, but tangible, which allows you to adjust the temperature or audio of the system.
Lounge car, a room with a view
Other lounge car solutions? At the touch of a button the glass window can be converted into private mode and become opaque. The panoramic windshield that runs to the rear can be cleaned with a spoiler-like wiper that runs the length of the windshield. The exterior has a stretched profile (and vaguely similar to a Tesla Cybertruck, although conceived before the Cybertruck) for more interior space. Overall, Roman's well-thought-out concept gives us a peek into the future of autonomous and comfortable four-wheeled designs.
