Sony Honda Mobility Afeela 1 launches in 2026

4.92 m long electric saloon gets two 245 PS motors and a 91 kWh battery

Photo by: Sony Honda Mobility

By: Stefan Leichsenring

Jan 7, 2025 at 3:59am ET

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Sony Honda Mobility, a joint venture between the electronics group and the car manufacturer, is presenting the Afeela 1 at the CES 2025 electronics trade fair. The first model of the new Afeela brand is set to launch in Japan and California in 2026; prices start at $89,900 (approx. £72,000).

The electric saloon is 4.92 metres long and 1.46 metres high, making it a competitor to the BMW i5, Audi A6 e-tron and Mercedes EQE. The drive is provided by two 245 PS motors, but the system output is not specified. The electricity comes from a 91-kWh battery, which should provide a range of up to 300 miles according to the American EPA standard. Charging takes place with up to 150 kW, as can be seen from a rather well-hidden data sheet at the top right of the Affeela 1 website. Our colleagues at Autocar assume that the platform of the planned Honda 0 vehicles will be used for the vehicle.

Gallery: Sony-Honda Afeela 1 CES 2025

Source: Sony Honda Mobility

However, SHM is not focussing on the drive and battery, but on the entertainment electronics and the 40 sensors that will enable semi-autonomous driving. These include a lidar sensor on the roof. There is also a media bar at the front, which can display texts and images to communicate with the environment.

Inside, there is an extremely generous display landscape consisting of an instrument display and a touchscreen that fills the rest of the dashboard. There are apparently also displays for the images from rear-facing cameras. A yoke is used for steering:

Photo by: Honda

The extremely wide touchscreen not only displays navigation maps and multimedia content, but also enables video games to be played. Other special features of the Afeela 1 include noise cancellation for the interior, the Afeela Personal Agent voice control system, displays on the seat backs for the rear passengers and an actively extending rear spoiler.

The model was already shown at CES in January 2023 and 2024. Now, however, it is said to be the almost final design. The electric saloon is to be produced in the USA at an existing plant in Ohio. Online reservations are now possible for a refundable fee of $200.

Two trim levels will be available. From mid-2026, the upscale Signature version will initially be delivered in California for $102,900, with the basic Origin variant to follow in 2027. The Signature will have 21-inch wheels, while the Origin will only have 19-inch wheels. The Origin also lacks the monitors for the rear occupants.

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The bottom line

The Afeela again. Every year, SHM, the joint venture between Sony and Honda, presents its electric cars. The technical specifications of the drive and battery are secondary, the focus is on which video games you can enjoy in the car, how many sensors are on board and how many computing operations the central computer can perform per second - typical CES.

Sources: SHM, Autocar, Afeela-1-Website