Sony reveals electronic tech in its first-ever car
ELECTRONICS giant Sony stunned CES by unveiling its own car – although the Vision-S is designed to showcase technology instead of previewing a production model.
The Vision-S was built to Sony’s specifications by Austrian engineering and manufacturing consultancy Magna. The concept is a 4.9-metre-long saloon, with a wheelbase of precisely three metres. It’s powered by an electric motor on each axle with a total output of 400kW (536bhp), and has a claimed 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 149mph. The vehicle weighs 2.35 tonnes and features double-wishbone-based air suspension all round.
A Sony spokesperson insisted that the Vision-S is designed to demonstrate the company’s new in-car operating system – a potential base for existing manufacturers to adopt – as well as highlighting the Japanese brand’s expertise in sensor technology. “Instead of squeezing the tech into an existing car, it made more sense to just create a vehicle to our own requirements,” the spokesperson said.
The relatively anonymous styling would suggest that the vehicle is indeed a proving ground more than a hint at any plans to enter the production car market. But the Sony official also conceded that the Vision-S is ready to meet roadgoing safety and homologation requirements, and that it should hit the road in some form – most likely as a development base and a promotional tool – before the end of 2020.