VW Sedric Is the Self-Driving Pod for Everyone
CARS.COM — Volkswagen is democratizing driving thanks to the futuristic Sedric self-driving concept car that can be operated by virtually anyone, even children. Shown for the first time at the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show, the electric-powered Sedric (“SElf DRIving Car”) is a fully autonomous vehicle with Level 5 mobility. That means no driver is required, and the cabin does not feature pedals or a steering wheel.
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In fact, the cabin more closely resembles a comfortable living room than it does a typical car interior. The electric powertrain helps free up space since the drive motors and battery pack can be positioned as low as possible. Stepping onboard, a yellow banquette with room for two passengers faces forward, while a foldable rearward-facing lounge seat can accommodate two additional people when needed. VW worked to create an especially airy and open interior since the Sedric’s layout isn’t constrained by traditional controls needed to operate the car.
To that end, the entire windshield is a large organic light-emitting diode display, which can be programmed to provide trip information, social media channels and entertainment options. Want to binge watch “Game of Thrones” during a long road trip? Simply pull up a season via the VW Sedric. Or, for shorter jaunts to school or the office, you could peruse emails and finish that last-minute report. The display can also act as a local tour guide, highlighting points of interest along your drive route.
Most important, for those moments when you simply want to tune out, a push of a button turns the entire display off so that the windshield becomes entirely clear. Enhancing the Zen-like atmosphere, VW has installed large charcoal filters to help clean and purify cabin air. And if that’s not enough, a row of small plants resides on a shelf at the front of the cabin.
When it’s time to summon your Sedric, a user pushes what VW refers to simply as “The Button.” This slim device connects with the car and directs the Sedric to your location. The Button alerts a Sedric user as to how long it will take the car to arrive and includes a vibration mode to assist visually impaired users. Voice commands can be used to allow passengers to tell the Sedric where to go, how to get there and when to return for the next trip.
Because the Sedric never requires human input when in operation, it could feasibly whisk the kids to school all on its own. In fact, VW envisions the car as being a virtual member of the family. After piloting you to the office, for example, the Sedric could zip around town, running errands such as picking up preordered groceries or meeting a visiting family member at the airport.
Take another good look at the exterior and you’ll notice the Sedric does not wear a single VW badge. That’s by design, because this concept car highlights technology that will spread throughout the entire VW Group family tree — including high-end brands such as Bentley and Lamborghini. Upcoming variants will be tailored to their own brand, though it remains to be seen exactly how a self-drive pod designed for VW might differ from a Bentley model.
While the VW Sedric is highly futuristic and points to an exciting new future where mobility is far more user-friendly, one funny design quirk is particularly ironic. Seen from the front, the Sedric bears a striking resemblance to a Macintosh home computer from the 1980s. Complete with glowing eyes/headlights and a “mouth” that looks ready to gobble up a giant floppy disk, our guess is that someone on the VW engineering team has misty memories of Casio calculator watches and Atari-era computing.
