Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) has officially opened the order books for its new electric sedan, the Afeela 1. The new EV was the first major result from the collaboration which was announced in early 2022 although its origin can be traced all the way back to the Vision-S Concept that Sony showcased at CES 2020.
Afeela 1 EV pricing, colourway, warranty
Since the announcement took place at CES, almost all the details that were revealed by SHM today are US-centric information. Over there, the Afeela 1 can be obtained in two variants:
- Afeela 1 Signature: USD102,900 (~RM464,079)
- Afeela 1 Origin: USD89,900 (~RM405,499)
The pricing is inclusive of a 3-year complimentary subscription to selected services. Among them include the Afeela Intelligent Drive Level 2+ ADAS features, Afeela Personal Agent, customisable themes, and entertainment services.
Regardless of the variant, the booking fee for Afeela 1 is USD200 (~RM900). Unlike Tesla, Afeela 1’s booking fee is refundable though.
For the Signature model, it can be obtained in Tidal Gray, Calm White, and Core Black while customers can choose to have its interior either in Black or Gray. On the other hand, the Origin variant only comes with a Core Black exterior alongside a Black interior.
Warranty-wise, the Afeela 1 comes standard with a 4-year / 50,000mi (~80,467km) vehicle warranty. There is also a separate 8-year / 100,000mi (~160,934km) warranty for the EV’s high-voltage battery which would be replaced if the battery’s State of Health (SoH) dropped under 75% during the warranty period.
SHM has also provided a similar 8-year / 100,000mi warranty to Afeela 1’s powertrain. The full list of warranty policies will be announced at a later date.
Afeela 1’s rollout will only begin in 2026
Unlike some of Sony’s consumer products such as PlayStation gaming consoles or Bravia TVs which can be spotted throughout the world, don’t expect Afeela EVs to become a common sight anytime soon. This is because only two markets have been confirmed so far: California and Japan.
For California, the rollout of the Afeela 1 Signature variant will take place in mid-2026 while the Origin model will be released in 2027. SHM is also planning to release the Afeela 1 in Japan in 2026 although the exact timeline was not revealed in today’s announcement.
Regarding the rollout in California, SHM seemed to be quite particular about it. To book the EV, customers have to acknowledge that they are California residents while the Afeela 1 has to be titled, registered, and garaged in the state as well.
However, the EV is not going to be assembled in California itself. Instead, SHM said that Afeela 1 will be assembled at an existing plant in Ohio although the company did not clarify if the Japanese units will be produced at the same plant.
Afeela 1 powertrain, battery, charging specs
Despite having two different variants, all Afeela 1 will feature a dual motor, all-wheel drive setup. The two motors have a combined power output of 360kW (~483hp) but the torque figure was left out of the specs sheet.
The official range for this EV has not yet been revealed but SHM said that the Afeela 1 is being designed to deliver up to 300 miles (~483km) of EPA-rated range. Powering the EV is a 91kWh lithium-ion battery pack and it supports DC charging speed of up to 150kW alongside 11kW AC charging.
The US-spec vehicles will be fitted with a North American Charging System (NACS) charging port which was originally developed by Tesla. Hence, it is not surprising that Afeela 1 will be compatible with the Tesla Supercharger network in the U.S. although the EV can still be charged with Combined Charging System Type 1 (CCS1) chargers through adapter.
Afeela 1 comes with a massive boot space, auto doors, air suspension
When it comes to physical dimensions, the Afeela 1 has the same width as per BMW i5 but is slightly shorter when it comes to length and height. However, it has significantly more boot space than BMW’s offering and is not far off from the Tesla Model S:
Afeela 1
Length: 4,915mm
Width: 1,900mm
Height: 1,461mm
Wheelbase: 3,000mm
Boot space: 765L
BMW i5
Length: 5,060mm
Width: 1,900mm
Height: 1,515mm
Wheelbase: 2,995mm
Boot space: 490L
Tesla Model S
Length: 5,021mm
Width: 1,987mm
Height: 1,478mm
Wheelbase: 2,960mm
Boot space: 798L
In case you didn’t notice, there are no door handles on the Afeela 1. The EV has been fitted with automatic doors instead which will open when it detects the digital key inside a smartphone or a physical NFC card key.
Aside from its aerodynamic design, SHM has also equipped Afeela 1 with an air suspension system. It works together with the EV’s motion management system to help deliver a comfortable, smooth, and stable driving experience.
Afeela 1 is packed with visual, auditory, and entertainment features
One of the main concepts behind the creation of Afeela 1 is “Mobility as a Creative Entertainment Space,”. To turn this concept into reality, SMG has fitted a gigantic panoramic screen into the EV’s dashboard although the exact screen size was not listed.
Afeela 1’s infotainment system supports a variety of streaming services with Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music, Stingray Karaoke, and Zoom are among the names that have been confirmed so far. You can also play PlayStation 5 games in this 5G-enabled car although this feature is delivered through the Remote Play feature rather than through a built-in PlayStation 5 console.
As if that was not enough, there is also another screen located right on the EV’s front section. Called Media Bar, it can display a variety of items including custom text messages, charging status, weather, traffic, and digital stickers.
In terms of the sound system, the number of speakers and power output of the sound system were not detailed by SMH. That being said, the company said Sony’s Spatial Sound Technologies have been integrated into Afeela’s sound system which allows it to support Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio content.
In addition to that, the EV also has an in-cabin active noise-cancelling feature to help reduce road noise. SMH has also roped in Gran Tursimo’s developer, Polyphony Digital to come out with several custom in-cabin audio experiences called e-Motor Sound.
Of course, there are also plenty of sensors within Afeela 1 to help deliver many of its intelligent features that are being powered by Qualcomm processors. SMH claimed that the EV has up to 40 sensors which include cameras, radars, ultrasonics, and LiDAR.
Afeela 1 Signature vs Origin: What are the differences?
At a glance, it is not easy to distinguish the Afeela 1 Signature and Origin from each other. One of the easiest ways is to look at their tyre and wheel sizes.
This is because the Signature model has larger 245/40R21 front and 275/35R21 rear tyres. The Origin variant features 225/55R19 front and 245/50R19 rear tyres instead.
The other major difference is that the Signature model has additional cameras attached to its side mirrors which provides an expanded field of view to the displays inside the car. The rearview mirror on this variant also displays images from a camera.
Furthermore, the Signature variant also comes with two infotainment displays for the passengers in the back.
Last but not least, customers who opted for the Afeela 1 Signature not only have more colour options but will also receive their orders much earlier in 2026. This is because SHM will only begin the delivery of Afeela 1 Origin in 2027.
