BETTER PARTSWhy you will soon see more and more cars with luminous logos on the nose
Previously it was banned in Europe
In the past, car manufacturers only had to worry about which diameter Hella headlight they had to purchase for a new model. And you only had to choose whether you wanted a tachometer instead of a clock. Today, automotive lighting is a lot more complicated – and the end is not yet in sight. Soon you will also see new cars in Europe with white luminous logos on the nose.
The Volkswagen Touareg is the first car in the Netherlands with the logo on the back that lights up. For the time being, he will remain the only one, because the new Passat and Tiguan do not yet have a luminous logo on the back. Strange, you might say, because these are newer models. The lack of a red glowing logo is due to the fact that the development of these cars started much earlier.
The Touareg is just a facelift, while the Passat and Tiguan are new models. When they started with the two new models, there were no illuminated logos yet. But the Touareg facelift coincided exactly with the moment when VW started playing with luminous logos on the front and rear. For the time being, it is only the rear logo that you can see in the dark. Toyota is doing something similar with the new C-HR.
Luminous logos used to be illegal in the EU
Not only will you soon spot the first luminous logos on tailgates, there will also be luminous logos on the noses of cars. Previously, it was illegal for car manufacturers to illuminate the emblems, but last year the European Union decided that the marks could illuminate after all. Important decisions, as you understand.
It is not yet clear what the first car in the Netherlands will be with a logo that lights up. It is expected that luminous emblems will be completely legal around 2025. In America you can already get the Atlas with the luminous VW logo and ID. Buzz was also shown there with a large light-up decal. In the US it has been legal to illuminate the logo for some time.
For example, on our roads you can already spot the BMW XM with illuminated kidney grilles – not quite the same as an illuminated logo, but it makes little difference. Rolls-Royce will also be able to ensure that the Spirit of Ecstasy is illuminated while driving with a simple software intervention; Currently this only happens when the car is stationary, as you can read at the bottom of this message.
Last year, Renault unveiled the 4Ever Trophy Concept (pictured below), whose wybertje in the grille also glowed. Mercedes and Nissan also showed study models with the illuminated emblems. Also the new Volkswagen ID. GTI and the sporty ID.X Performance showed a luminous logo. However, in all cases these are still concepts. So there are quite a few brands eager to make their logo stand out.
Isn't it all a bit much?
We asked Volkswagen designer Thorben Kochs whether it doesn't all get a bit much with all the lighting in and on a car. At Volkswagen they don't think so: 'Lighting is the new chrome. Normally we had a chrome element between the headlights. We replaced that with lighting. This way you also have a very distinctive appearance in the dark.'
The fact that Volkswagen uses less chrome on its cars has little to do with the new EU ban on chrome plating of parts: 'We can also use polished aluminum or plastic for the same effect. It's more our philosophy; we want to take the next step and replace what is just a material with something more functional.'