After a few years of showing evolving prototypes of its car at CES, Sony Honda Mobility Inc. (SHM) announced today at the 2025 show the first model to be sold under the Afeela brand. With the Afeela 1, the new automaker aims to revolutionize the mobility experience through the integration of advanced software and high-performance hardware, collaboration with content creators, and ongoing software updates.

“Sony Honda Mobility strives to evolve relationships with people through intelligent mobility and revolutionize the travel experience,” said Yasuhide Mizuno, Chairperson and CEO of Sony Honda Mobility Inc. “We are very pleased to unveil Afeela 1, developed for the era of autonomous driving, at CES 2025. Afeela 1 can be called a buddy, combining advanced software with meticulously refined hardware. We will meet our customers’ expectations by providing a safe, secure, and comfortable travel experience.”

The company says the car’s interior design prioritizes occupant comfort with an “oval” concept theme, while the exterior is devoid of decorative lines and exaggerated surface undulations and is characterized by sleek, hard, and tense surfaces. High-quality functional materials partially made from plant-derived and recycled materials make up about 70% of the interior surface area—on seats, doors, dashboard, glove box, roofs, pillars, and mats. Recycled materials are partially used not only in the body steel plate but also for the chassis.

The car is defined by an interior cabin optimized for entertainment with the concept of “Mobility as a Creative Entertainment Space.” Each occupant will have access to a variety of apps and content provided by entertainment partners through media-optimized sound system and displays.

An Interactive Personal Agent enables communication in the vehicle. Occupants can not only control various in-car functions via natural voice interactions but also have conversations and receive activity suggestions.

Vehicle dynamics are engineered for nimble and stable handling performance “that moves as the driver desires.” The 3D Motion Management System includes innovative posture control technology through robotics and integrates motor, brake, and suspension control to provide optimal ride comfort and precision handling on various road surfaces.

SHM’s proprietary noise-canceling technology and expertise are focused on providing quietness. The noise and vibration reduction features allow occupants to focus on in-car entertainment. The optimally placed speakers are engineered with Sony’s 360 spatial sound technologies to offer a high-quality immersive audio experience.

Afeela Intelligent Drive, SHM’s proprietary ADAS, uses 40 sensors (cameras, lidar, radars, ultrasonics) to collect data from the surroundings. An ECU (electronic control unit) with a computing power of up to 800 TOPS and AI technology provides advanced end-to-end perception, prediction, and planning. The surrounding environment and driving conditions are visualized using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine to provide a safe and secure driving experience.

SHM is working on creating unique entertainment experiences using driving and vehicle data through collaborations with external creators and developers. At CES 2025, the company announced several partners for in-car entertainment services for the Afeela.

The car will feature Amazon Music, an immersive audio entertainment service, and Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. Customers will be able to access Spotify directly from the in-car entertainment system. Dolby’s Atmos will provide the “best-in-class” in-vehicle audio experience.

“We are excited about the adoption of Dolby Atmos in Afeela, which will allow us to extend the future of car audio to more users who value quality and innovation,” said Javier Foncillas, VP of Commercial Partnerships at Dolby Laboratories.

One of the more interesting collaborations is with Polyphony Digital Inc. to develop a unique e-motor sound for the in-car audio system. SHM believes the feature, which will enhance the driver’s sense of oneness with the car during acceleration, deceleration, and cornering, is an essential auditory element.

Polyphony Digital has pursued realistic vehicle behaviors and textures in the long-standing development of the “Gran Turismo” series, version 7 of which includes the Afeela Prototype 2024 and realistically recreates the exhilaration of new mobility in the digital space.

“Polyphony Digital will leverage its unique sound engineering expertise to support the creation of the optimal e-motor sound for Afeela,” said Kazunori Yamauchi, President and Representative Director of Polyphony Digital Inc. “Over the past 30 or so years, we have walked alongside the automotive industry with our perspective. We look forward to further exploring the future of automobiles and mobility.”

Afeela 1 is available in two trims—Origin and Signature—with a 3-yr complimentary subscription including Intelligent Drive, Personal Agent, a selection of immersive entertainment content, theme sets for digital vehicle customization, and 5G data connectivity. The Afeela 1 in CES materials is a U.S.-spec vehicle and images are of the Signature trim.

The price starts at $89,900 for the Origin trim and $102,900 for the Signature trim, which includes 21-in wheels, a rear entertainment system, and C-CMS (center camera monitoring system). Signature offers a choice of three exterior colors (Tidal Gray, Calm White, and Core Black) and two interior colors (Black and Gray).

The car is being developed for Tesla’s Supercharging network charging compatibility across the U.S. and a driving range targeted at up to 300 mi. SHM aims to provide exceptional services at Afeela-authorized repair providers.

U.S. production is planned at an existing plant in Ohio, with official sales in California anticipated in 2025, and deliveries anticipated in mid-2026 with higher-spec Signature trim and Origin trim following. Deliveries for the Japanese market are scheduled to begin in 2026. Online reservations for Californians through the Afeela website (https://www.shm-afeela.com/) are now open with a fully refundable reservation fee of $200.