Sony Honda Mobility's Afeela Prototype 2026 puts an SUV spin on its too-familiar sedan at CES

"Last year in Las Vegas at CES 2025, Sony Honda Mobility displayed yet another revision of its now-familiar yet still-unreleased Afeela 1 sedan. With a starting price of $89,900 and a maximum range of 300 miles, it didn't seem like a great value proposition. 12 months later, the math still hasn't changed, but would-be buyers now have a slightly taller option to consider. Meet the Afeela Prototype 2026, a version of the Afeela 1 sedan that's been up-scaled to better suit American SUV proclivities. It offers a carbon copy of the smaller Afeela's understated styling, including the external, nose-mounted LCD, and is due "as early as 2028.""

"And what about the Afeela 1? Shugo Yamaguchi, president and CEO of Sony Honda Mobility of America, confirmed that it's still on track for a release this year, still priced at $90,000 to start, and still set to be built at Honda's Ohio factory. That last bit is particularly good news, as the global tariff situation has been rather fluid since we saw the sedan last year. Unfortunately, the rest of the Afeela 1's core attributes haven't aged so well, particularly given it's intended to appeal to an increasingly skeptical American market, a situation that has driven Honda to dial down its own US EV aspirations."

"To make the Afeela 1 compelling, Sony Honda Mobility is leaning into the tech play, launching with an advanced hands-off, eyes-on driver assistance system (a la GM's Super Cruise). Thanks to the beauty of over-the-air updates, the Afeela 1 will eventually offer Level 4 autonomy, leaning on a bevy of integrated sensors, including a roof-mounted LIDAR pod. That would theoretically mean you could drive in Gran Turismo 7 while your car drove"

Sony Honda Mobility expanded the Afeela lineup with the Prototype 2026, an upscaled, SUV-oriented version of the Afeela 1 that keeps the sedan's understated styling and nose-mounted external LCD. The Afeela 1 remains priced near $90,000 with a maximum range of about 300 miles and is slated for production at Honda's Ohio factory. Release timing for the prototype is quoted as "as early as 2028," though 2029 is considered more likely. Sony Honda Mobility emphasizes advanced driver assistance, OTA updates, and a roof-mounted LIDAR pod to eventually enable Level 4 autonomy amid skeptical U.S. market sentiment and shifting tariffs.

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