Volvo’s Thor’s Hammer Lights Are Becoming The Brand’s New Kidney Grille

A Defining Design

Some design elements are made out of necessity and are taken up by the cultural zeitgeist after years and years of consistency. Think about BMW’s Kidney Grille, or Porsche’s bug-eyed, low-hood, rear-engined layout, or whatever’s tickling the fancy of the current designers of (insert-Chinese-brand here).

Speaking of, Geely may own Volvo, but being almost a century old, it has a lot of history to draw on. That, and nobody else seems to be giving a nod to Norse Mythology in the industry. While it may be low-hanging fruit for Volvo, I don’t think any other brand could have done it without being an ill fit.

Volvo gave CarBuzz an initial spin in its new models, opening up the topic to our eyes. Apparently, there’s a bit more to the story, so let’s open up the topic a bit more.

Thor’s Hammer, Mjolnir

You could say that Volvo’s Daytime Running Light (DRL) design hits the nail on the head for the Swedish automaker. Thor’s hammer is a distinct feature that’s found on modern Volvo vehicles. The sideways T-shaped DRLs have become a defining characteristic of Volvo vehicles in recent years, including the new XC90 and XC40 SUVs. Whether it’s an ICE or an EV, all new Volvo cars come with this design feature, and with the unveiling of new Volvo EVs, we’re noticing that it’s getting bigger, much like BMW‘s now-massive Kidney Grille.

Volvo’s rendition of Mjolnir used to look like a thin, elegant T-shape, but it appears the brand is now using a thicker, “digital” version of the prior iteration. Beyond its now-iconic shape, the digital design also underscores Volvo’s push for technologically advanced EVs.

The hammer is also different depending on which Volvo you’re looking at. On some models, it’s more boxy and flat, akin to the Volvo’s classic design language. Think back to the brand’s boxy design era. Now, we still get a largely boxy appearance, albeit complemented by modern curves and some swooping lines. On some cars, the hammer is skewed a certain way, giving it a “fast” look.

IP Protected

The DRLs have also made an impression on older Volvo fans. On some forums, people have actually managed to purchase aftermarket headlight kits that retrofit the hammer onto older models. On other sites like AliExpress, you can find several kits for older Volvos like the V40 and more if you’re willing to look hard enough and perhaps roll the dice on a Chinese part.

The design has resonated so well since the brand first showcased it in 2015 on the XC90 that Volvo sought to secure IP protection for the headlight design, allowing it to combat counterfeits and reproductions and prevent competitors from copying it. According to the European Union’s IPO’s General Court, it decided to affirm that Volvo’s shape mark applications are eligible for trademark protection. This was granted in 2017, right after Volvo filed it. In 2022, Volvo sought to expand its trademark protections; however, it went into appeal mode for a couple of years afterward.

By 2024, after a bit of back-and-forth with the European Union’s IPO office, Volvo had successfully appealed its case to the General Court, which handed down a largely favorable decision. You can expect Volvo to have total enforcement over the headlights IP in Sweden, and limited protection depending on the region.