(Credit: Eric Zeman)
LAS VEGAS—Sony first showcased its Afeela concept car, developed in collaboration with Honda, at CES 2020. Since then, it has brought updated versions of the Afeela to CES each year, while promising it will reach US customers before too long. Well, the time has finally arrived. I sat in an Afeela 1 that rolled off its US production line at CES 2026, and the car is slated to reach consumers before the end of the year. Here's what's new.
It's Finally Ready
Sony has been showing the Afeela 1 at CES for so long, it's hard to remember that the car is actually meant to be a real product. It's felt like vaporware for years, but the version it brought to Las Vegas this year will be available by the fourth quarter of this year. In fact, it will be produced at a Honda manufacturing plant in Ohio.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)Has it changed since we first saw it six years ago? Well, some. Now in its final design, the car has lost some of the quirkier design elements it has featured over the years, including a mid-frame stripe. What's most important about the version here in Las Vegas is that the interior is done. It feels more refined and complete than earlier variants, and, most importantly, the cockpit and dashboard have been finalized.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)The large screen that runs across the entire dash is now an uninterrupted panel, having lost the vertical separator that was part of the original design. The smooth screen looks much better, and the dash feels more cohesive as you look from side to side. What's particularly notable is that the driver now has more access to apps and entertainment than before. The dashboard is fully customizable, allowing each driver to make the car feel like their own.
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Riders in the back seat have access to their own screens and entertainment portals, where they can choose to stream video, as well as play PlayStation games.
The car, which has always felt more like an entertainment platform than an actual EV, starts at $89,900 and will reach California showrooms first.
A New Afeela Prototype
In addition to a final version of the Afeela 1, Sony showed off the Afeela Prototype SUV, which is slated for production as soon as 2028. It carries over much of the tech from the Afeela 1, but on a taller platform that offers more interior space and an SUV-like trunk.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)Sony wouldn't say much about the prototype, not even if it is based on the same platform as the Afeela 1. Based on what I saw in Las Vegas, it's clear the SUV is leaning heavily on its predecessor for not only design inspiration but also interior technology. It's certainly not a rugged-looking vehicle, but the additional rear cargo space may be what some families are looking for, rather than the more limited confines of the sedan.