It seems that in addition to owning a number of world-loved technologies, SONY wants to innovate again, but this time on the four wheels. Nobody really had on the radar that the Japanese entertainment group would present its own car, Vision-S, at CES in Las Vegas.
SONY’s first-ever car is not a sports car, but an electric sedan, with an arsenal of safety and comfort devices available to those who board it. But, the company gave no sign of whether this disruptive incursion is temporary or permanent. For now, yes, experimental! With a futuristic look, the company’s car prototype aims to bring some groundbreaking technologies.
The 1.45-meter high SONY Vision-S, created in the in-house design department, offers comfortable space for up to four people in the individual seats. It is powered by two 200 kW/272 hp electric motors on each axis. The all-wheel-drive vehicle, which weighs 5,180 lbs (2,350 kg), accelerates from standstill to 62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 4.8 seconds and reaches a regulated top speed of 149 mph (240 km/h). A variable air suspension, which can vary the ground clearance from 12 to 13.5 centimeters, ensures appropriate comfort.
The interior of the car is very spacious. It is equipped with a new type of safety zone that detects 360° dangers around the vehicle and minimizes the risks in road traffic. Various cameras and a total of 33 automotive-grade sensors, which are built into the Vision-S and ensure, for example, the best possible object detection through LiDAR technology, ensure maximum security for the car.
At the front, the occupants look at several large displays that form the dashboard. To replace the use of mirrors, the car has cameras in the rearview mirrors, which provide information about the area behind and next to the vehicle on the displays.
The vehicle’s system will be updated repeatedly to improve the user experience. Artificial intelligence in the cloud will interact and learn as part of the detection device, which will allow it to be even more perceptive and functional. The longer a person continues to use the car, the more the system will evolve, resulting in richer experiences and generating new appeal. Check out the video given below for more details.
SONY said the Vision-S still has no release date or estimated price, as they are still not sure whether to enter or not in the auto sector. Also, it is not an exclusive development of SONY, but it did so in partnership with other companies, including Bosch, Continental, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm.
Could SONY get right into the auto industry? With so much technology employed in a single-car, we can say yes.