Three years after showing its first concept car, Sony, along with partner Honda, has revealed its electric vehicle brand and a concept previewing the first model. Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), the company formed by the electronics and auto giants, will create a brand called Afeela to sell its electric cars.
The test car, which doesn't bear any other names besides the Afeela brand, looks very different from Sony's original concepts, other than being a sedan-like with a satin gray paint job. The shape is very clean and simple, with as few wrinkles, curves, and lines as possible. The front and rear lights have been streamlined down to the base rails. It all looks very aerodynamic, too. The whole thing is very reminiscent of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 if you simplify it much more. And on the subject of Hyundai, the Afeela is roughly the same length and width as the Korean sedan.
The exterior has two unique features. Most notable is the "media bar" at the front between the actual headlight units. It is a screen that can display all kinds of information and even customize it. Although we suspect government regulators may restrict how customizable this panel can be. It can, of course, also provide information about charging and maybe even information for pedestrians, especially since this car aims to have some autonomy.
The interior is as simple as the exterior, but with the most notable array of full-width screens, including those for the side mirrors. The rear seats have individual screens, too. Sony promotes a focus on providing all kinds of entertainment to passengers. He didn't mention anything about installing the PlayStation in the car, but did mention that it's partnering with Epic Games to develop entertainment options.
Sony also talked about some aspects of the car's technology and features. The vehicle has 45 cameras and sensors, all from Sony for use with vehicle safety systems, which Honda is developing. It's partnering with Qualcomm for its in-vehicle computer chips. Sony claims the car will be capable of Level 3 self-driving in some situations, though this will require the driver's attention in some circumstances, particularly urban driving. Level 2 Driver Assistance will be available in these situations.
No details were given on the battery or the motors. The car is all-wheel drive though, and we can imagine it uses the twin-engine common design, one at each end. Looking at the specs, the car has wider rear tires, so we're betting the rear has a larger engine. The front end uses double wishbone suspension, while the rear has an independent multi-link setup.
Afeela cars will primarily be sold online. Pre-orders for the production model, which will again be based on this prototype, will begin in the first half of 2025, with orders finalized at the end of the year. The cars will be built at Honda's North American facility.