It’s California First for Sony’s Afeela 1

Sony’s automotive debut will be in the Golden State when the Afeela 1 goes on sale in 2026.

The EV sedan—a joint venture with Honda—was first shown in 2023 and has just been displayed in near-production-ready form at CES in Las Vegas, where it was announced that California will be the initial market for the car. In fact Californians can pre-order now with a $200 deposit.

Those customers will need to find a further $102,700 for the Signature trim edition, which will be first to the road, featuring 21-inch alloy wheels, a choice of just three exterior colors and two interior trims, plus a camera-driven rear-view system and two rear entertainment screens to complement the panoramic screen for front seat passengers.

The all-wheel-drive Afeela 1 is powered by two 244 hp electric motors—one for each axle—and has a battery capacity of 92 kWh for a range of up to 300 miles on a charge. The batteries can be replenished at up to 150 kW so pit stops should be pretty short.

The chassis relies on double-wishbone suspension for the front axle and a multi-link arrangement at the rear, and with Honda’s expertise the driving experience should be decent. However, Sony is banking on humans not actually doing much of the driving (or at least having the choice not to) thanks to the Afeela Intelligent Drive system which will provide level two-plus autonomous driving. The system is fed by more than 40 sensors including cameras, lidar, radar and ultrasonic technology.

When the driver does take control it will be through a yoke-style steering wheel with steer-by-wire. Sony-Honda promises “a sense of unity with the driver” with “nimble and stable handling”. A three-dimensional motion management system adjusts motors, brakes and suspension for optimal ride comfort.

There’s also built-in noise-cancellation tech, an audio system that’s optimized for each passenger and Afeela Personal Agent voice control. A wide variety of apps from Spotify to Zoom will be available. The interior is said to be made from 70 percent recycled materials with additional recycled steel in the body and chassis.

Following the launch of the top-spec Signature will be an Origin model in 2027 priced at $89,900, which will only be available in black with a single interior trim level. The Afeela 1 will then gradually be rolled out across the U.S.