Sony Honda Mobility has used CES 2026 to double down on its vision of the car as a rolling entertainment space, confirming key timing for its first production EV while unveiling a more flexible new prototype aimed further down the road.
The headline act remains Afeela 1, the joint venture’s first production model, shown in pre-production form ahead of customer deliveries scheduled to begin in California in 2026.
Afeela 1 edges closer to driveways
Afeela 1 is no longer a concept talking point. Sony Honda confirmed trial production runs were completed in late 2025 at Honda’s East Liberty plant in Ohio, with pre-production vehicles now being displayed publicly at CES.
Reservations for the electric sedan opened in California in January 2025 and the response has been sizeable. Sony Honda says more than 100,000 visitors have passed through Afeela Studio showrooms so far, with over 24,000 in-vehicle demonstrations conducted within the first year.
To support deliveries, dedicated Afeela Studio and Delivery Hubs will open in Torrance and Fremont, combining showroom and handover functions. Early reservation holders will also be invited into a phased “Afeela Advanced Access” programme, including demonstration drives later this year.
Sales are planned to expand into Arizona in 2027, with Japan deliveries following in the first half of that year. DRIVEN Car Guide understands Sony Honda has not disclosed final range, charging performance or output figures for Afeela 1 yet.
Software first, wheels second
Beyond the hardware, Sony Honda continues to position Afeela as a software-defined vehicle. The company reiterated its focus on advanced driver assistance through Afeela Intelligent Drive, starting with Level 2+ functionality and working toward more autonomous capability over time.
Inside, the Afeela Personal Agent acts as a conversational interface powered by cloud-based AI, designed to personalise the driving and passenger experience. Sony Honda also confirmed future vehicles will adopt Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis as part of a next-generation electronic architecture. To top things off, the Afeela 1 is confirmed to officially support PlayStation Remote Play for in-car cloud gaming.
A new Afeela Co-Creation Programme will open development access to creators and app developers, while a token-based, on-chain mobility service platform is also under development.
Prototype 2026 hints at what’s next
Alongside Afeela 1, Sony Honda world-premiered the Afeela Prototype 2026.
While still a concept, it builds on the same core ideas with greater interior flexibility and accessibility, targeting a broader range of use cases.
A production model based on this prototype is planned for the US market as early as 2028, signalling that Sony Honda’s ambitions stretch well beyond its first launch.
As the lines between mobility, software and entertainment continue to blur, Afeela is shaping up as one of the clearest statements yet of where Sony and Honda think the modern car is headed.
