- 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 wider range of users
Sony Honda Mobility likes to use CES as a platform to showcase its long-awaited Afeela 1 electric vehicle, so much so that bringing 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 same as those $102,900 vehicles that will be delivered in the coming months.
But despite not yet handing over the keys to customers, Sony Honda Mobility is already teasing an SUV variant that it claims will offer “greater spatial flexibility and accessibility” as well as attracting a wider range of users.
It is based on the same foundations as Afeela 1, that is, it will have the same personal agent that takes advantage of the Microsoft Azure OpenAI service for a natural dialogue between humans and machines.
There’s also a Snapdragon digital chassis which the company says helps it deliver “next-generation mobility experiences focused on AI”, while the ability to play PlayStation 5 directly on the vehicle’s infotainment system will remain a key draw for potential punters.
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Sony Honda Mobility is otherwise remaining tight-lipped on specific details of the larger SUV, which is scheduled to launch in the US starting in 2028.
We only know that it looks strikingly similar to the sedan, albeit with a raised ride height, and that it is very likely to have the same sensor suite that allows the Afeela 1 to offer advanced levels of autonomous driving.
The company says it aims to achieve autonomous driving capabilities equivalent to Level 4 in the future, transforming the space inside the vehicle into a “drive-free” environment where occupants can ostensibly enjoy entertainment.
A bumpy road ahead
The Afeela 1 appears to have been a long time in the making, with Chinese tech brands like Xiaomi and Huawei launching and selling a number of highly advanced electric vehicles in their home market in the time it took Sony Honda Mobility to reach a pre-production stage.
What’s more, the Signature version that will ship first starts at $102,900 (around £77,000 / AU$155,000), and the ‘cheaper’ $89,900 (around £67,000 / AU$135,000) Origin won’t arrive until 2027. That’s a lot of money for an electric vehicle that can only offer up to 300 miles of range on a single charge.
Just across the Las Vegas Convention Centre, BMW was busy showcasing its upcoming iX3 model, which is expected to have a starting price of around $60,000 (around £45,000 / AU$90,000) and is touted to go up to 400 miles on a full charge.
While there is no information on pricing, the upcoming SUV will likely follow a similar pricing strategy and could cost even more than the Afeela 1 sedan.
Sony Honda Mobility might need more than just a digital license plate and an in-car PlayStation to convince customers to part with that kind of money.
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