- Afeela 1 deliveries will finally begin later this year
- A new all-electric SUV is planned for 2028
- Sony and Honda say it will be aimed at a broader range of users
Sony Honda Mobility likes to use CES as a platform to showcase its hotly-anticipated Afeela 1 electric vehicle, to the point where wheeling it out on stage has become an annual tradition.
This year, the pair revealed what they described as a “pre-production model” that is essentially the very same as those $102,900 vehicles that are due to be delivered in the coming months.
But despite not yet handing keys over to customers, Sony Honda Mobility is already teasing an SUV variant that it claims will offer “greater spatial flexibility and accessibility” as well as appealing to a broader range of users.
It builds on the same fundamentals as the Afeela 1, which is to say it will feature the same Personal Agent that leverages Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service for natural dialogue between human and machine.
There’s also a Snapdragon Digital Chassis that the company says helps it deliver “AI-centered next-generation mobility experiences”, while the ability to play PlayStation 5 directly on the vehicle’s infotainment system will remain as a key draw for potential punters.
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Sony Honda Mobility is otherwise remaining tight-lipped on specifics for the larger SUV, which is planned for launch in the US as early as 2028.
We only know that it looks strikingly similar to the sedan, albeit with a raised ride height, and that it is highly likely to feature the same sensor suite that allows Afeela 1 to offer advanced levels of autonomous driving.
The company says that it aims to achieve Level 4–equivalent autonomous driving capabilities in the future, transforming the in-vehicle space into a “drive-less” environment where occupants can enjoy entertainment, apparently.
A bumpy road ahead
It feels like the Afeela 1 has been a very long time in the making, with Chinese technology brands like Xiaomi and Huawei launching and selling a number of very advanced EVs in their domestic market in the time it has taken Sony Honda Mobility to get to a pre-production stage.
What’s more, the Signature version that will be delivered first starts at $102,900 (around £77,000 / AU$155,000), with the ‘cheaper’ $89,900 Origin (about £67,000 / AU$135,000) not arriving until 2027. That’s a lot of money for an EV that can only deliver up to 300 miles of range on a single charge.
Just across the Las Vegas Convention Center, BMW was busy showcasing its upcoming iX3 model, which is expected to start at around $60,000 (about £45,000 / AU$90,000) and is touted to deliver up to 400 miles on a full charge.
While there’s no word on price, the upcoming SUV will likely follow a similar pricing strategy and could potentially cost even more than the Afeela 1 sedan.
Sony Honda Mobility might need a bit more than a digital license plate and PlayStation in the car to convince customers to part with that much cash.
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