Sony Honda Mobility's Afeela 1 was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 in Las Vegas on Monday. It is the first electric vehicle (EV) as part of the joint venture between two Japanese conglomerates — Sony Group Corporation and the Honda Motor Company, which was formulated in 2022. The Afeela 1 is claimed to deliver a hassle-free and safe driving experience, leveraging over 40 sensors which power the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) suite. It also offers connected car features powered by Qualcomm Technologies' Snapdragon Digital Chassis solutions.
With its first-ever EV unveiled at CES 2025, Sony Honda Mobility is targeting a maximum range of 300 kilometres on a single charge, taking on big hitters such as Tesla and Rivian in the US EV market.
Sony Honda Mobility Afeela 1 Price
Sony Honda Mobility Afeela 1 price starts at $89,900 (roughly Rs. 77 lakh). It is offered in two trims — Origin and Signature, and the latter adds several features such as 21-inch wheels, a rear entertainment system, and C-CMS (Center Camera Monitoring System). The Afeela 1 Signature is priced at $102,900 (roughly Rs. 88 lakh). With Afeela 1 purchases, customers will receive a 3-year complimentary subscription for certain functionality and features.
It is available in three exterior colour options — Tidal Gray, Calm White, and Core Black, and black and grey interior colourways. The Afeela 1 sales will officially begin in California in 2025 and deliveries in mid-2026. Customers can pre-reserve the EV by paying $200 (roughly Rs. 17,000).
Sony Honda Mobility Afeela 1 Features
According to Sony Honda Mobility, the Afeela 1 EV features a 3D Motion Management System for ride comfort and handling on various road surfaces. It leverages posture control technology through robotics development to integrate control of the electric motor, brakes, and suspension. It is equipped with the company's proprietary noise-cancelling technology and vibration reduction which increases quietness levels inside the cabin, enabling passengers to focus on in-car entertainment.
70 Percent of Afeela 1 EV's Interior Cabin is Made from Recycled Materials
Photo Credit: Sony Honda Mobility
Driving the cabin entertainment experience is an optimised sound system and displays by seat. It has Sony's 360 Spatial Sound technology that is claimed to deliver a spatial sound experience. This is in line with the company's ambitions of offering the Afeela 1 as a “Mobility as a Creative Entertainment Space”. For controlling various in-car functions, there's an interactive agent dubbed Afeela Personal Agent which works via natural voice interactions. Sony Honda Mobility says Afeela 1 can be upgraded and expanded via over-the-air (OTA) updates.
The EV features an electronic control unit (ECU) with a computing power of up to 800 TOPS and artificial intelligence (AI) technology. It also gets a Snapdragon Digital Chassis and is generative AI integrated, courtesy of Sony Honda Mobility's partnership with Qualcomm. The ADAS suite takes advantage of 40 sensors including cameras, LiDAR, radars, and ultrasonic sensors. Afeela 1's displays use Unreal Engine 3 to visualise ADAS views and maps, providing a view of departure points, parking destinations, and end-to-end routes. The company promises a maximum range of 480 kilometres on a single charge.
Sony Honda Mobility says 70 percent of Afeela 1's is made of plant-derived and recycled materials. Furthermore, recycled materials are also used in the construction of the body steel plate and the chassis.
