An unlikely collaboration, Sony and Honda became partners in early 2022 when the Japanese giants announced plans to work together. The duo has since established a new company, plainly named Sony Honda Mobility, and their first car is the Afeela. The EV was baptized at last year’s Consumer Electronics Shows. At the 2024 CES, a closer-to-production version is exhibited.
It might not have the most interesting name, but the Sony Honda Mobility Afeela does look interesting. The swoopy electric sedan now has traditional side mirrors instead of mirrors, along with a slightly redesigned front bumper with a spoiler lip. The sweptback headlights have a curvier shape than before while the pillars seem thicker than on last year’s prototype. At the back, a black piece of trim has been added above the license plate, and there’s a new element protruding from the bumper.
Originally unveiled as the Vision-S concept at the 2020 CES, the Afeela has gone through additional changes on the inside. The screen-heavy cabin now boasts a different rearview mirror, a discreetly revised yoke-like steering wheel, and dual smartphone wireless chargers. There also seems to be a camera atop the dashboard that keeps an eye what the driver is doing.
As for technical specifications, the Afeela has a dual-motor setup granting an all-wheel drive setup. The front and rear motors each deliver 241 horsepower (180 kilowatts) to the respective axles and draw their juice from a 91-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Owners will be able to recharge the battery using DC at up to 150 kW while AC charging is going to top out at 11 kW.
Riding on 21-inch wheels with 245/40 R21 front and 275/35 R22 rear tires, the Afeela offers air suspension combined with a double wishbone setup at the front and a multi-link rear configuration. The futuristic-looking EV is 193.5 inches (4915 millimeters) long, 74.8 in (1900 mm) wide, and 57.4 in (1460 mm) tall, with a generous wheelbase of 111.8 in (3,000 mm). That makes it slightly shorter, narrower, and taller than a Tesla Model S.
The Sony Honda Mobility company will open the order books in 2025 when production is slated to commence. Deliveries to customers in North America are earmarked for early 2026. In the meantime, you’ll be able to drive the Afeela in Gran Turismo 7 coming with a future update this year. Fun fact – the 2024 prototype was remotely brought onto the stage at CES using a PlayStation DualSense controller:
