Sony and Honda announce the launch date and price of their electric model, the Afeela 1

At an event held ahead of the official opening of CES Las Vegas 2025, Japanese manufacturer Sony, a leader in the consumer electronics market, together with Honda, officially unveiled the production version of its new electric saloon, the Afeela 1.

The Afeela 1 is the result of the alliance between Honda and Sony, which also plans to launch an SUV and more affordable electric models in the more or less near future. The agreement between the two Japanese companies establishes that Honda will be responsible for producing the Afeela models, while Sony will lead the development of each of them, integrating all its technology.

Equipped with a 91 kWh battery pack, the Afeela 1 features two 180 kW electric motors, one for each axle. It is estimated that its range will be around 482 km and it will support a maximum charging power of 150 kW. These figures are somewhat below those of other competing models in its segment, although this does not seem to concern Sony, which is in charge of its development, since the Afeela 1’s strong point will not be its technical specifications or road performance, but rather the level of technology it integrates.

For technology enthusiasts

During the presentation held at CES 2025, Sony’s representatives highlighted this last point from the very first minute, when the Afeela 1 drove onto the stage without a driver, thereby suggesting its advanced autonomous driving capabilities. The Afeela 1 will feature some of the most advanced automated driving assistance systems on the market, using a total of 40 sensors distributed throughout the vehicle, including 18 cameras, a front LiDAR, nine radars and 12 ultrasonic sensors.

According to Sony during the presentation, once the driver assistance system is activated, the vehicle will proactively talk with the driver, providing useful information about the road at all times. But the Afeela 1 will not differ from the rest of the competition only when making any journey, but especially when parked, being able to offer access to the broadest entertainment catalogue, including PlayStation video games, music and films.

All this technological arsenal integrated into the Afeela 1 will not, however, as you can imagine, be cheap. Sony has already opened reservations for its first electric vehicle, for now only in California, upon payment of a refundable $200 deposit. The launch and top-of-the-range version, called Signature, will have a price of $102,900, with first deliveries expected in mid-2026. Those interested in this vehicle but with a somewhat tighter budget will also have the option of waiting for the second, more affordable version of the Afeela 1 that Sony will market, which will be available for $89,900.

In short, a different vehicle that bets more on the technology it offers than on its road performance. We do not expect it to stand out in this latter area. In the end, it will be the market that decides whether there is a place for Sony’s new proposal. In any case, it is welcome that manufacturers with alternative proposals like this one are emerging, compared with what we are already used to seeing from the rest.