CES 2026 Spotlights the Connected Cockpit: The Car as a Smart Living Space

From robots to robotaxis, CES 2026 offered attendees a first-hand look at new products and technologies, including those that will likely shape the next generation of vehicles.

Over the four-day event in January, approximately 148,000 attendees had the opportunity to explore electric, self-driving, and concept cars, as well as transportation-related technologies that will ultimately make their way into collision repair shops.

This article is part one of three in a series on CES, and explores the evolution of the connected cockpit, including advances in software-defined vehicles (SDVs), AI-powered in-vehicle entertainment, and more.

Key automotive technology trends at CES 2026

Sensor integration, software-defined vehicles (SDVs), and the connected cockpit are all continuing to evolve. The use of AI is also expanding, with companies such as LG highlighting its AI-powered Mobility Display Solution and Bosch showcasing an AI-powered cockpit.

Fanni Li, S&P Global’s principal analyst and lead of the connected car team, commented on some of the key trends at CES.

“OEMs and suppliers are pushing beyond size into digital cockpit design, integrated multi-display modules, pillar-to-pillar dashboards, panoramic displays, and windshield OLED display concepts,” she shared. “Cockpit design and intuitive interaction are becoming new levers of OEM differentiation and brand expression.”

Li said that mobility is being redefined as the vehicle becomes an always-connected “third living space,” extending daily life and productivity into the car’s cabin.

AT&T leans into vehicle connectivity innovation

Matt Harden, vice president of Connected Solutions Sales at AT&T, hosted a fireside chat with Tom Solomon, vice president of corporate business development at Rivian, to discuss connected-car technologies, IoT, and 5G advancements in automotive.During CES, AT&T announced its collaboration with iM Media Labs to launch an AI-powered in-vehicle entertainment platform. The offering combines AT&T’s 5G connectivity with iM Media Labs’ media technology to deliver personalized content and a unified interface for music and podcasts.

“There will now be a central application that customers can go to and curate their music, podcasts and audio entertainment,” explained Harden.

AT&T also announced its collaboration with Mitsubishi to provide 5G connectivity in the 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV. Harden said this will enable the Outlander to provide near-real-time navigation, ultra-fast data speeds, and enhanced entertainment.

Mitsubishi Connected Car Services will also be able to deliver faster software rollouts, more responsive driver support, and over-the-air updates, allowing the automaker to remotely deliver software upgrades and security patches to select vehicle systems. These are all areas Harden encouraged collision repairers to take note of to prepare themselves to repair modern vehicles.

“At Mitsubishi Motors, our goal is to create a transformative, personalized experience for every driver,” said Bryan Arnett, MMNA’s director of digital product strategy. “Working with AT&T — an industry leader in automotive connectivity — ensures our focus on exceeding customers’ expectations will be delivered through next-generation technology that redefines the connected vehicle.”

Harden also hosted a fireside chat with Tom Solomon, vice president of corporate business development at Rivian, to discuss connected-car technologies, IoT, and 5G advancements in automotive.

“It was an opportunity for us to highlight what true collaboration looks like in this industry and what can be done when you have two companies that are willing to meet each other in the middle, really putting the overall customer that is driving that vehicle at the forefront, and ensuring that we can deliver the best possible solution for them,” said Harden.

Sony Honda Mobility AFEELA and the future of mobility

Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) outlined its evolving vision for the future of mobility and debuted the next chapter of AFEELA. It also presented AFEELA 1 as a pre-production model. Deliveries in California are scheduled to begin in 2026, and expansion to Arizona is planned for 2027.

Izumi Kawanishi, representative director, president and COO of Sony Honda Mobility, discussed the company’s vision during CES 2026.SHM also debuted the AFEELA Prototype 2026. A production model is planned for launch in the U.S. as early as 2028.

Mobility is envisioned by the company as evolving into a “Creative Entertainment Space” powered by vehicle AI. “Vehicles will evolve from driver-centric machines into intelligent partners that understand user preferences and emotions, maximizing the value of space and time during mobility,” said company representatives.

The AFEELA Personal Agent, an interactive conversational AI, leverages Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to deliver highly personalized, natural dialogue experiences tailored to users, which the company said enhances the relationship between people and mobility.

Xperi on the impact of connected cockpit technology 

Xperi showcased its connected car entertainment technology and products. The Mercedes-Benz vehicle featured at the Xperi booth included the DTS AutoStage Video Service Powered by TiVo, newly adopted by the automaker.

Xperi develops software for consumer electronics and connected cars, as well as media platforms for video service over broadband. Its brands include TiVo, DTS, HD Radio and IMAX Enhanced.

“We have one foot in the entertainment world and one foot in the technology world,” said Jeff Jury, Xperi’s general manager of the Immersive Entertainment Group.

With a focus on bringing entertainment technology into the vehicle, the company partners with nearly every automaker in North America in some capacity.

“With some of them, we have more technology than others, but we work with them all,” said Jury.

He pointed out that automakers today are competing less on tires and bumpers and more on the vehicle’s features and enhancements, especially in the cockpit.

“The level of sophistication now is dramatically different than what it was 10 years ago,” noted Jury, who shared insight about the connected cockpit.

He used the example of modern vehicles no longer having just one screen. Instead, screens often cover the entire dashboard and are also set up in other areas of the car.

“You might have two or three screens in the front and two in the back, and they are all connected,” he explained. “From a repairer’s perspective, being aware of this trend is very important.”

Where safety and entertainment intersect

With the growth of interconnected services in vehicles, Jury stressed the importance of repairers understanding exactly what the car company intended when designing the car’s cockpit.

“Safety and entertainment are starting to morph together,” he acknowledged.

As a result, Jury said that collision repairers will likely require training on connectivity to ensure the features function correctly after a collision.

“If you were to repair that cockpit, you’re going to need to understand the intent of how all these systems are interrelated to determine if they are running properly, delivering the content and reporting the information,” he emphasized.

Jury also commented on the increasing amount of data available with connected vehicles.

“As you move into this connected cockpit world, there is a lot of data that can be used to enhance products and make products safer,” Jury said. “You have to educate the consumer as to why that’s relevant.”

Having more data available in the car should make everyone’s job easier, according to Jury. “It should provide a clearer picture of what issues exist in the car and provide the consumer with a better overall experience,” he added.