Sony Mobility unveils Vision-S 02 SUV at CES

SONY MOBILITY has taken the wraps off its second concept model in as many years at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. 

The Vision-S 02 SUV follows the Vision-S 01 Sedan concept presented at CES two years ago, and offers seven-seat practicality, a high-end surround sound audio system – with speakers embedded in the seats – and of course, connection to a PlayStation gaming console.

Up front, the cockpit receives a large panoramic screen running the width of the dashboard with smaller individual screens offered for rear-seat passengers. The Vision-S 02 offers 5G and over-the-air update capabilities, Sony Mobility saying remote operation may be possible in the near future.

“We are exploring a commercial launch of Sony’s electric vehicles,” Sony chairman, president and CEO Kenichiro Yoshido said at the CES.

“With our imaging and sensing, cloud, 5G and entertainment technologies combined with our contents mastery, we believe Sony is well positioned as a creative entertainment company to redefine mobility.

Sony Mobility’s SUV concept sticks close to the design of its earlier sedan with a black ‘grille’ flanked by cooling ducts, leaf-shaped headlights, a full-width LED daytime running light, curved glass roof, and 20-inch alloy wheels. There are no wing mirrors, the Vision-S 02 instead using Sony’s CMOS camera and sensor system.

It also features lip-reading technology to enable what Sony says are accurate voice commands, in-car cameras to monitor passenger comfort, and over 40 sensors to support Level 2+ autonomous driving capabilities.

The 2072kg (kerb) Vision-S 02 rides on the same double-wishbone air sprung platform as the Vision-S 01 and measures 4895mm in length, 1930mm in width, and 1650mm in height. The wheelbase measures 3030mm. It is propelled by an electric motor at each axle providing combined system power of 400kW.

Sony Mobility has yet to provide driving range, charge times, or performance figures for the concept model but it’s understood the model will share some of its architecture with the Fisker Ocean, whose underpinnings are also supplied by Austrian manufacturer Magna-Steyr.

If the Vision-S 02 enters production it will likely rival similar-sized 5+2 seat SUVs from Apple, Fisker, Foxtron, LG, Tesla, VinFast and others.

Sony shares jumped 4.2 per cent on announcement of the concept model to ¥14,450 ($A175).