You know things in the automotive industry are getting interesting when manufacturers, well-established in other areas, start making cars. Not long ago Huawei announced their first car and, now, Sony is working on theirs. Actually, the car was unveiled at the 2020 Consumer Electronic Show and is called the Vision S. We were reacquainted with the Sony Vision-S in January 2021, through some video footage, giving us additional information about the vehicle.
According to what Sony says, the car will not be sold under the Sony name. You probably can’t help but notice its resemblance to the Porsche Taycan, especially in the front, which shares a lot of design cues with the German model.
The Vision-S features a dual-motor setup – one for each axle. Each motor has an output of 200 kilowatts or 268 horsepower. The torque figure is still kept a secret, although it is expected to be no less than 590 pound-feet (800 Nm).
Sony Vision S specifications
Powertrain |
Dual-motor |
---|---|
Drivetrain |
All-wheel-drive |
Horsepower |
536 HP |
Torque |
590 LB-FT |
0 to 60 mph |
4.6 seconds |
Top Speed |
149 mph |
Range |
200 miles |
Currently, the Vision-S has a Level 2+ autonomy, which is limited to adaptive cruise control, a self-parking system, and an automatic lane-changing system. Should the car eventually hit the market, it is expected to have at least Level 4 autonomy (there are currently 5). Level 4 means High Driving Automation, which allows the car’s system to intervene should any emergency occur. At Level 4 autonomy, you will still get the option of manual override.
The car is also used as a testbed for various systems, which the company could later sell to different car brands. At this point, it’s too early to talk about a production version, but given the secrecy that surrounds it, nothing is out of the question. Until then, you can look at the photos of a prototype testing in Europe.