Sony is making an SUV! New Afeela Prototype previews future production model

Afeela – a joint venture between Honda and Japanese technology brand Sony – has revealed its second model at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The Afeela Prototype 2026 will join the 1 saloon from 2028 and focus on AI-assisted software tech and autonomous driving, pushing ever closer to being a true ‘self-driving’ car. 

Due to be built in Honda’s US plant, the new model will initially be sold in America and Japan, and feature a versatile crossover body, with a higher ride height and more space inside than the lower Afeela 1 saloon. 

The prototype’s styling and interior are derived from the saloon’s, with similarly shaped rectangular headlights and an external display between them. As well as being taller, it also has some more substantial differences around the roof and doors, with the Prototype 2026 featuring a more generic roof – albeit finished in black – with a larger rear window and glass roof panel. 

Afeela hasn’t revealed any images of the new car’s interior, but we suspect it’ll mimic the layout of the 1 saloon, which includes a full-width screen mounted on a simple dashboard, plus digital mirror screens and a ‘yoke’ steering wheel. 

Few technical details on the new Prototype 2026 have been revealed, but we suspect it’ll have a similar range to the saloon’s 300-odd miles, made possible by a 91kWh battery pack and a dual-motor layout. Maximum power is around 480bhp, and peak DC charging speeds are rated at up to 150kW. 

These are hardly ground-breaking numbers for a car due in 2028, but this prototype is more about software than hardware; Afeela says it’ll launch its first models with Level 2+ autonomy. This will give point-to-destination autonomous driving, although the driver will still need to have their eyes on the road. 

All Afeela models, including this future SUV, will also have the hardware required for up to Level 4 autonomous driving in the future, which will allow full eyes-off autonomous driving.

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However, we’re unlikely to see the Afeela brand in the UK any time soon, because its cars will be built in the USA initially for sale there, with Japanese sales following. The first model, the Afeela 1, will go on sale in California later this year, with sales in Arizona and Japan starting in 2027. By 2028, a production version of the Prototype 2026 will also be available, probably called Afeela 2. If you’re after a new EV or hybrid, check out the Auto Express Buy A Car service for all the latest deals. 

What is the Afeela brand and why is it important?

Primarily, this is more a Sony project, rather than an explicit mission statement from Honda about its future EVs. Both Afeela models are designed to move the game on in terms of electronics and software, rather than the driving experience. 

Honda will be producing the basic chassis, battery and drive units, but it’s the integration of the car’s autonomous driving elements and the cabin’s digital experience from Sony that will be the big leap. 

Will we see any direct benefits in the cars to be sold in Europe in the future? Yes, largely due to the scale that the new Afeela brand will bring to Honda’s future EVs, which are promising big things when the Series 0 models arrive from later this year. 

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