At CES, held Jan. 6–9 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Dolby staked out the in-car space as a key battleground.
Adoption of Dolby Atmos in cars is accelerating, according to Gasgoo. More than 35 automakers worldwide now offer it, spanning over 150 models from luxury trims to entry-level configurations. Dolby Vision is also reaching more vehicles, including the NIO ET9 making its CES debut, and the Mahindra XUV 7XO — India's first model to integrate both Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.
Image: Dolby
John Couling, Senior Vice President of Entertainment at Dolby Laboratories, said: "Through technology innovation and industry collaboration, we're extending premium audio-visual experiences to a range of settings, including the car, empowering creators to realize their vision and reshaping how users perceive entertainment." In the Dolby Live automotive showroom at this year's CES, models from Audi, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, NIO and Porsche equipped with Dolby technologies underscored how quickly the trend is taking hold.
Dolby and Mercedes-Benz showcased a seamless cockpit experience: Mercedes-Benz has become one of the first automakers to support Spatial Audio via Apple CarPlay, a capability slated for the all-new electric GLC, CLA and GLB. Users can stream Dolby Atmos music directly through Apple Music and other services, delivering a layered soundstage with crisp detail.
To broaden access to immersive audio, Dolby and Pioneer introduced SPHERA, the world's first aftermarket infotainment head unit with Dolby Atmos support. Optimized for systems with fewer channels, it enables many existing vehicles to gain Dolby Atmos through an upgrade — extending the experience to a much wider user base.
As the entertainment ecosystem evolves, Dolby used CES 2026 to outline its audio and visual push in automotive. By advancing collaboration with carmakers and suppliers, Dolby is weaving theater-grade immersion into the mobility space — and that push is set to continue.
