Afeela 1: Can Sony and Honda Redefine Luxury on Wheels?

When Sony Honda Mobility unveiled the Afeela 1 at CES 2025, the hall went silent before erupting in applause. This wasn’t just another EV launch—it was the marriage of two titans: Honda’s century of engineering prowess and Sony’s mastery of entertainment and design. The Afeela 1 is scheduled for a mid-2026 release, priced starting near $90,000, and positions itself as a rival not only to Tesla but also to Lucid, Porsche, and Mercedes.

In a market crowded with fast, beautiful EVs, Afeela’s edge is philosophical. It asks a radical question: What if your car were less a machine and more a lifestyle platform?

For decades, carmakers sold horsepower, torque, and zero-to-sixty times. Afeela 1 offers something different: a living room on wheels. Its panoramic infotainment system stretches the width of the dashboard, transforming the cabin into a cinematic stage. Passengers can stream Sony Pictures films, sync PlayStation games, or immerse themselves in 360-degree audio powered by Sony’s legendary acoustics.

Rather than fighting traffic, passengers can binge-watch, video-conference, or enter augmented-reality experiences curated by Sony’s entertainment arm. Luxury here is defined not by the engine’s roar but by silence, immersion, and choice.

The Afeela 1 debuts with Level 3 autonomous driving, a rare feature even in the high-end EV market. This means that in certain conditions, the driver can relinquish full control and let the car handle acceleration, steering, and braking. At the same time, its AI assistant adapts to each passenger: adjusting lighting, playlists, or even suggesting routes based on mood and calendar schedules.

This AI-driven personalization transforms the EV from a vehicle into an extension of one’s digital ecosystem.

(Source: McKinsey Future Mobility Report)

Visually, the Afeela 1 is an exercise in Japanese minimalism. The exterior lines are soft, continuous, almost sculptural—closer to an Apple product than a traditional car. Inside, the cabin balances natural materials with cutting-edge technology: vegan leathers, sustainable woods, and ambient lighting that responds to touch and voice.

This approach doesn’t scream luxury—it whispers it. For an audience fatigued by ostentation, the subtle design positions Afeela as the EV equivalent of a Kyoto ryokan: serene, discreet, and indulgent in its simplicity.

Tesla’s Model S Plaid still owns raw acceleration. Lucid’s Air Dream Edition dazzles with range. Porsche’s Taycan Turbo S commands driving purity. Mercedes’ EQS offers aristocratic luxury. So, where does the Afeela 1 fit?

Its edge is integration. No other automaker offers Sony-level entertainment combined with Honda-level engineering. While others tout specs, Afeela sells experience. At $90K, it also lands in a sweet spot—premium enough for the luxury buyer, but not stratospheric like bespoke Rolls-Royce EVs.

For the rising generation of luxury consumers—tech-first, experience-driven, and globally mobile—Afeela feels tailored.

The Afeela 1 isn’t just a car—it’s a blueprint for mobility as a lifestyle. Sony and Honda envision future subscription tiers that could include exclusive film releases, curated concerts, or AI-enhanced productivity apps. Imagine a cabin where your personal assistant is not Alexa or Siri but Afeela itself—anticipating needs, adapting to preferences, and traveling seamlessly between digital and physical lives.

Sony Honda Mobility isn’t aiming for volume—it’s aiming for influence. By reframing what a luxury car can be, the Afeela 1 could set a template for how Gen Alpha and beyond will view cars: not as status symbols defined by performance, but as personalized sanctuaries where entertainment, AI, and autonomy blend seamlessly.