- Sony and Honda’s joint venture, Afeela, has revealed an updated version of its electric sedan concept at CES 2024.
- The revised Afeela features production-ready cues like traditional sideview mirrors instead of cameras and more substantial headlights.
- Afeela also released specifications, with the sedan packing a 241-hp electric motor on each axle and DC charging at speeds up to 150 kW.
At CES 2023 last year, Sony and Honda surprised the automotive world with a new EV brand called Afeela, the product of a joint venture called Sony Honda Mobility that will unleash an electric sedan on American roads in 2026. Now Afeela is showing an updated version of its prototype at CES 2024, with the four-door EV looking far more production ready, and has released a slew of new powertrain information.
Listed at 193.5 inches long, the latest Afeela prototype is about two inches shy of a 2024 Honda Accord, but with a nearly seven-inch-longer wheelbase. Compared with the original prototype shown last year, there are some noticeable changes. The thin cameras sprouting from the A-pillar have been replaced by traditional side-view mirrors, and the headlights and grille trim piece are also thicker than before. The charging port door on the front fender has grown in size, and the indentation along the rocker panels and the rear bumper have also been restyled.
The cabin appears largely the same as the original prototype, but the center console is a bit larger and the steering wheel and rearview mirror have been slightly redesigned. There are also two wireless phone chargers and what appears to be an inward-facing camera perched atop the full-width screen.
Afeela has also published drivetrain specifications for the sedan, which were absent from the reveal last year. The Afeela will be all-wheel drive, with permanent-magnet synchronous motors at the front and rear. Each is rated at 241 horsepower, but Afeela doesn’t provide a combined horsepower rating, and calculating total output typically isn’t as simple as adding the horsepower from each motor together.
Range? Not Yet
The lithium-ion battery has a listed capacity of 91.0 kWh, but Afeela has yet to publish range figures. Afeela says the sedan is capable of DC charging at up to 150 kW, with AC charging maxing out at 11 kW. The air suspension is supported by unequal-length control arms up front and a multi-link setup at the rear. The front tires measure 245/40 and the rear rubber is listed at 275/35, with the Afeela riding on 21-inch wheels all around.
Orders for the Afeela sedan, which has yet to be given a specific model name, will open in 2025, with U.S. sales set to begin in 2026. Little else is known about the company’s plans, but we expect the Afeela to start around $45,000. The sedan is also set to be added to the Gran Turismo 7 video game later this year, allowing anyone to drive it virtually two years before the Afeela hits the road.
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
