As part of the CES 2024 consumer electronics exhibition in Las Vegas, Sony Honda Mobility presented an updated prototype of its debut model, which is due to be released to market in 2026. The design and dimensions of the new product have been slightly adjusted, and the main technical characteristics have been published.
It took the Chinese company Xiaomi only 1000 days to make its first electric car. Sony has been rocking for much longer: the Japanese company showed the first prototype of its electric car back in 2020, but only in 2022 it confirmed the seriousness of its intentions to produce it and created a joint venture with Honda for this purpose, called Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), the new company will operate under the Afeela brand.
The debut model of Afeela still does not have its own name and it is still unclear what type of body it has — a sedan or a liftback. SHM showed a prototype of the first Afeela model at CES last year, this year it appeared to the public in a slightly updated form, closer to the production version, which will be available for pre-order in 2025 and will hit the market in 2026. The main markets are North America and Japan. The production location has not yet been officially announced; previously there were rumors that it would be one of Honda's American factories.
The car presented today at CES is larger than last year’s prototype, the overall length has increased from 4895 to 4915 mm, but all other key dimensions are the same: width — 1900 mm, height — 1460 mm, wheelbase — 3000 mm. Afeela has adaptive air suspension, the front is double wishbone and the rear is multi-link. The power plant consists of two electric motors (one per axle), each producing 180 kW (245 hp), for a total of 360 kW (490 hp). The battery capacity is 91 kWh, the range on one charge is not specified. The declared maximum charging power is 150 kW, which, frankly speaking, is not enough compared to its main competitors. Standard wheels are 21-inch. For now, this is all the official data on hardware.
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Meanwhile, the main value of Afeela is not the hardware, but the widest multimedia capabilities. In essence, Afeela is a large mobile multi-screen gaming console, and in the future it will be able to drive on roads in completely unmanned mode, and then the driver and passengers will be able to immerse themselves in entertainment. The external rear view cameras on the front doors of the new prototype were replaced by traditional mirrors, but the giant display on the front panel of the cabin retained the side sections for broadcasting images from the cameras. Small interior details have been more carefully worked out compared to last year's prototype, but overall the design is the same.
At CES 2024, it was announced that SHM will collaborate with Microsoft on generative artificial intelligence and integrate it into the Afeela on-board operating system. In turn, gaming industry titans Epic Games and Polyphony Digital will help SHM in the development of a graphics platform and augmented reality technologies. Polyphony Digital, we recall, is the main developer of the Gran Turismo series of games, the Afeela 2024 prototype will soon appear in the latest version of Gran Turismo 7.
It is logical to assume that the serial version will be presented at CES early next year version of the first Afeela model and, perhaps, a price will be announced, which will largely determine the success or failure of the joint venture between Sony and Honda.