The Newest on the New Sony Honda Mobility EV
The Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) Afeela is an all-electric luxurious sedan set to go on sale someday in 2026. The corporate invited members of the automotive media to its studio on the Westfield Century Metropolis mall in Los Angeles to listen to in regards to the improvement, progress and raison d’être for enterprise such an enormous endeavor to create not solely an all-new automobile (the Afeela), but additionally an all-new automobile firm.
This isn’t the primary time Clear Fleet Report has written in regards to the Afeela. We included it in our CES recap tales from 2024 and 2025. We didn’t get the chance to drive the Afeela, and there aren’t any indications anybody aside from the corporate’s take a look at drivers and engineers have completed so, however we did get an hour with the advertising and marketing, product and communications group that introduced us up-to-speed on what they’ve achieved since being on the Las Vegas stage for CES.
What’s the Afeela?
“Afeela” is a confluence of the phrases Augmentation, Autonomy and Affinity with the intent for folks to “really feel” one thing when contained in the automobile. Extra on that later, however here’s what Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) says in regards to the 50:50 three way partnership:
“AFEELA,” which embodies the idea of “FEEL” represents an interactive relationship the place folks “really feel” mobility as an clever entity, and mobility “feels” folks and society utilizing superior applied sciences equivalent to sensing and networking.” Shifting on.
The efficiency numbers are imprecise, if not speculative, at this level. This implies anybody plopping down a totally refundable $200 deposit can change their thoughts as soon as the ultimate specs are launched.
The Afeela consists of two trims and that is what we all know.
Signature – Base value $102,900, estimated mid-2026 supply
Origin – Base value $89,900, out there someday in 2027
- 5-passenger sedan
- All-wheel drive
- Twin 180 kW motors, one on every axle
- Horsepower estimate: 241 every motor for a possible of greater than 400 complete system hp
- Torque: TBD
- 0-60 and Prime Pace: TBD
- All-electric driving vary: 300-mile estimate
- Battery: 91 kWh
- Charging Pace: As much as 150 kW
- Charging Kind: Tesla NACS
- Dimensionally, the Afeela is inside inches of the Tesla Mannequin S and Lucid Air.
Curb weight was not launched, primarily based on the design and air springs, the Afeela shall be tuned for consolation and never efficiency driving. The superior driver help techniques (ADAS) have 40 sensors: 12 ultrasonics, 9 radar, 1 lidar and 18 cameras scattered in and on the automobile. The “on” half consists of three sensors (together with the lidar) jutting from the roof simply above the highest of the windshield.
Whereas not as externally obtrusive as a Waymo, the Afeela has extra protrusions than some other sedan on the highway. The Afeela group mentioned their placement on the roof was as a result of the automobile sits so low they wanted to be raised to see over an SUV or truck blocking the ahead view.
With Degree 2+ driving and the ADAS, SHM says you “can set it to present a seamless end-to-end journey,” which they name Clever Drive, that repeatedly screens highway situations.
The steering shall be with a yoke which hopefully is an digital steer-by-wire system. The product group didn’t delve into the steering know-how so we will solely wait. Charging at as much as a 150 kW price is nowhere close to state-of-the-art indicating it is a 400-volt system. It should cost “quick,” however not among the many quickest EVs in the marketplace.
The “Really feel” in Afeela
When these two industrial giants (Honda and Sony) determined to get collectively, one of the best end result can be by bringing their particular person strengths. For Honda that’s designing and constructing vehicles, on this case at its Marysville, Ohio, manufacturing facility, the place the preliminary Afeelas will be part of the previous Acura NSX meeting line. For Sony, its an experience in client electronics, the place leisure is the core driver.
The leisure side of an Afeela begins on the sleek rounded nostril, the place the media bar might be custom-made with shifting graphics, an organization brand, a favourite sports activities group or private greetings. It might probably even give the battery degree when charging.
Climbing inside, the dominant characteristic is the panoramic display that measures a complete of 42.5-inches. The driving force cluster is 12.3 inches, the middle predominant display is 16.2 inches, and the digital picture aspect mirror digicam screens are seven inches every. The ceiling-mounted rearview mirror, with Homelink, provides a digital possibility for a wider visual field.
The panoramic display has a passenger part that permits movies to be performed when the automobile is in movement, however has security know-how so the display’s content material can’t be seen by the driving force.
The rear passengers have screens on the again of the entrance seats the place they will watch tv, hearken to music and stream motion pictures. PlayStation 4 distant play might be set-up in addition to different (hopefully) Sony video games.
Tech is in all places. Enter the automobile and press on the brake pedal, and the doorways gentle shut. A pleasant feminine voice (an AI private agent) welcomes you, asks how issues are going and what she will be able to do for you. This consists of offering instructions, discovering factors of curiosity, altering radio stations or leisure choices, together with altering the moods on the display, which additionally change fake motor sounds. This final one comes from the video-game developer Epic Video games’ Unreal Engine graphics know-how.
The 3D sound system and shows for each seat make the most of audio settings, together with a 360 Spatial Sound Expertise by Dolby Atmos. A noise canceling characteristic can play audio solely within the entrance a part of the cabin, “permitting occupants to concentrate on in-car leisure.”
Observations: 2026 Sony Honda Mobility: Afeela
We respect how a lot work and cash go into the most important enterprise of beginning a totally new automobile firm. What SHM has proven to this point in regards to the Afeela isn’t distinctive or floor breaking. The whole lot now we have realized in regards to the know-how, efficiency, charging and leisure is frequent on nearly all of the high-end electrical vehicles reviewed by Clear Fleet Report.
So, the query is: “Why do it?” What did Mr. Sony and Mr. Honda take into account with they first thought the world wanted one other automobile firm? What was the Afeela differentiator from current all-electric sedans?
The associated fee in personnel and cash to design, develop, construct prototypes, take a look at and meet the automotive requirements and compliance earlier than starting manufacturing, not to mention to promote within the U.S., is an enormous enterprise. For a automobile that’s solely being bought initially in California with a beginning value in extra of $100,000, it appears the return on funding and the trail to profitability shall be steep.
Moreover, the Afeela is a sedan EV, not an SUV (which stays the recent automobile sort within the nation). There are different all-electric sedans in the marketplace, which shall be direct opponents primarily based on value and measurement: Mercedes-Benz EQS, BMW i5, i4 and i7, Lucid Air, and the Tesla Mannequin S. And extra are due in the marketplace.
SHM could have a slim slice of the automotive market by beginning with just one sedan EV mannequin costing over 100 grand and coming from an organization nobody has ever heard of. Will SHM leverage the standard popularity of Honda? Will this be an Acura contender? Will an leisure firm like Sony resonate with automotive consumers? Or are the 2 corporations fully separate?
There may be a lot to know that won’t be realized till manufacturing begins in early 2026. Clear Fleet Report shall be reporting on the Afeela progress and are eagerly awaiting after we can drive what needs to be a really good all-electric sedan.
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Story by John Faulkner. Photographs by John Faulkner and Sony Honda Mobility.
[See image gallery at cleanfleetreport.com]The put up Information: 2026 SHM Afeela first appeared on Clear Fleet Report.
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