It’s been five years since she’s been talked about and this time, she arrives, or almost… Afeela 1 is a carcar branded Sony, designed in partnership with Honda. The high-end, 100% electric car is now available for pre-order, but… only in the United States and only in California. A pre-order which does not mean that residents of the state will be able to receive the car within the year. The first deliveries are planned for mid-2026.
In appearance, the large sedan has a airair from Lucid Air, but its design remains unadventurous for a sedan of its pretension. Because Sony has ambition and wants to position itself at the very high end, with TeslaTesla High-performance Model S Plaid, or even a model from Polestar. At least, the price reflects it, with an Origin version whose entry ticket is set at $89,900. A Signature version costs $102,900. For this price, in both cases, the engine is integral and develops the equivalent of 482 hp (359 kW). The 91 kWh battery delivers a range of 483 kilometers. For charging, it is compatible with Tesla’s Supercharger network and fast charging in direct currentdirect current (150 kW).
It is not so much on performance as on the on-board experience that Sony is focusing on its Afeela 1. For driving assistance, Sony has gone all out with 40 sensorssensors and cameras. We can’t miss some, like this protuberance reminiscent of a taxi “light” on the top of the windshield. With these sensors, driving is assisted by IAIA. The Afeela 1 can thus identify empty spaces in parking lots and streets, and park automatically, for example.
Honda took care of the electric platform part, Sony focused on sensors, AI and the on-board experience. © Sony, Honda
Ahead of his delay
Onboard AI would be capable of handling 800,000 billion operations per second. Enough to move to autonomous driving within a few years. For the moment, this AI is used to communicate with the car and control its functions. Inside, the active noise cancellation system makes you feel like you’re in a cocooncocoon and enjoy infotainment on the large screen on the dashboard or in the rear seats for the Signature version.
Despite the abysmal price of the car, certain features, including driving assistance, voice assistant and even entertainment or 5G connectivity, will require payment via a subscription. It will only be free for three years. A height for one electric carelectric car which peaks at more than 100,000 euros! So obviously, when we compare it to certain Chinese models, even very high-end ones like the Xiaomi SU7, we can doubt the future of the Afeela 1, even if, for the moment, it is doing better, at least on the paper. If these Chinese vehicles are already a hit, the level of pre-sales will be a determining factor in knowing whether we will really see this Afeela 1 driving.
