CES 2025: Fingers-on with Sony-Honda’s AFEELA 1 Signature

Sony and Honda are betting huge on the AFEELA 1, the smooth new electrical automobile 5 years within the making that is turning heads at CES 2025. Not solely did Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) spill the tea on pre-order particulars — and its jaw-dropping price ticket— on Monday however the firm’s additionally letting attendees get a primary style of life inside this futuristic experience.

We scored a seat contained in the AFEELA 1 Signature, the top-tier trim of the lineup that clocks in an enormous $102,000. However do not let the sticker shock scare you off simply but — this EV is loaded with bells, whistles, and cutting-edge tech designed to make that worth really feel (virtually) affordable.

One of many first belongings you’ll discover concerning the AFEELA? No door handles. It is a flex we have been seeing rather a lot within the EV world over the previous few years, and SHM is absolutely on board. As an alternative of conventional handles, you are purported to unlock the automobile by means of the AFEELA app in your telephone. Nevertheless, as a result of the Las Vegas Conference Middle WiFi was a large number, our information needed to go old-school — urgent a tiny button within the high nook to pop the door open manually. You may also simply faucet your telephone to the door to open it as properly.

Hilariously, somebody on the briefing identified that the LiDAR cameras perched on high of the AFEELA are styled like cat ears. Sure, cat ears. It is oddly charming, and actually? It sort of works.

Step inside, although, and the vibe shifts from playful to premium. The inside is the place SHM actually flexes its imaginative and prescient for the AFEELA model. The joint firm’s huge mission has been to “redefine the relationship between humans and mobility,” and it is doubled down on creating an inside that feels extra like an immersive sanctuary than a automobile. It is all concerning the expertise —and SHM’s not holding again.

We’re speaking a full-panoramic touchscreen show that stretches throughout the whole dashboard, ambient lighting alongside the door trims, OLED screens mounted on the again of each seat, and —watch for it — a Sony PlayStation 5 controller, which you should utilize with PlayStation Distant Play to play video video games within the automobile. (Sure, in response to one of many PR reps, the controller does include the automobile.) The touchscreen itself can change between themes (like one impressed by Sucker Punch’s Sony recreation Ghost of Tsushima), and nestled on the corners of the driving force and passenger seats are shows exhibiting real-time digital camera views from the rearview mirror.

The entire setup is undeniably further, and it solely will get wilder. The automobile boasts a sound system so loud it’d really qualify as a well being hazard, which the rep used to blast music and — get this — display an episode of Solo Leveling on Crunchyroll. I want I used to be making that up. As if that weren’t sufficient, the AFEELA is loaded with apps nobody requested for however by some means make sense in trendy EV universes. Zoom in your subsequent net chat? Certain, why not — Teslas have it too. TikTok and YouTube? In fact. It is turning into customary, we guess. As a result of for those who’re already succumbing to mind rot, you may as properly do it in model.

The automobile boasts a sound system so loud it’d really qualify as a well being hazard…

There’s additionally an AI assistant that SHM says it needs to operate as a buddy to drivers, which is why is named an “AI Agent” and never an assistant. Sadly, AFEELA’s “friendliness” wasn’t on full show throughout our demo, due to its shy streak (learn: the conference heart WiFi was seemingly on strike by this level). So, for now, we’ll need to take SHM’s phrase for it.

We did not get to see the AFEELA in movement — which, truthful sufficient, given the overall chaos of CES — however SHM wasn’t shy about hyping up its Full Self-Driving capabilities. The automobile is presently rated at Degree 2+ (out of 6) on SAE Worldwide’s ranges of driving automation, which suggests semi-automated driving with some driver intervention remains to be required. Formidable as ever, SHM says it is aiming for Degree 4 — Excessive Driving Automation — the place the automobile would mainly drive itself with out human assist. However let’s be actual, that dream remains to be caught in improvement purgatory and never prepared for prime time — Mercedes-Benz beat Tesla to grow to be the primary to promote Degree 3 autonomous vehicles within the U.S. in April 2024; Degree 4 remains to be the horizon.

All issues thought-about, the primary have a look at the AFEELA 1 Signature was thrilling, even for somebody who neither drives nor has a snowball’s likelihood of affording one. For now, pre-orders are solely open to California drivers, with SHM citing the state’s superior EV infrastructure as the rationale.

On the CES ground, SHM confirmed off the AFEELA 1 Signature, retailing for a cool $102,900, whereas its barely much less bougie sibling, the AFEELA 1 Origin, will go for $89,900. The Signature is slated to ship in mid-2026, whereas the Origin lags behind with a 2027 launch.