Although Sony announced the discontinuation of physical media production for the PlayStation starting in 2028, this transition has already taken place in the automotive sector. In Brazil, new vehicles without a CD player have not been sold since the beginning of 2026.
The last car sold with this feature was the Subaru Forester. Although it is still listed on the manufacturer's website, the magazine Auto Esporte reported that Subaru has closed its last dealerships in the national territory.
Previously, until 2025, the Lexus ES300h was available in Brazil with a CD player integrated into the Mark Levinson sound system. The luxury brand stopped including the physical media player in its lines as they received updates and new generations.
Globally, the Subaru WRX remains the only new vehicle that can be purchased with a factory CD player installed in the center console compartment. Despite the Japanese tradition of offering good sound quality and having an audiophile fan base, Subaru is gradually abandoning physical media in its line updates.
The decline of the CD player is attributed to the growing popularity of streaming services and smartphone mirroring functionality in multimedia centers. Eliminating the physical media reader helps reduce costs, simplify, and decrease the size of modern equipment.
In the Brazilian accessories market, there are no longer any 1 DIN multimedia centers or radios equipped with a CD player available. The closest alternatives are USB or memory card ports, intended for flash drives. To obtain a new physical media player in Brazil, the consumer must purchase an original replacement radio for older models at dealerships or import it through e-commerce websites.
