The 2026 Afeela 1 sedan will have a starting price of $89,900, an all-electric range of approximately 300 miles, and will be the first car we’ve seen advertised based on its TOPS measurement (Tera Operations Per Second, a measurement of computing power). Its highest-end trim will carry a six-figure price tag. And you likely have no idea what we’re talking about.
What Is Sony Honda Mobility?
Electronics giant Sony and automaker Honda agreed to launch a joint company in 2023. Called Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), the new company will build cars with a decidedly high-tech, entertainment-centered vibe.
SHM has made the annual CES consumer electronics show in Las Vegas its home. The company announced its existence with an early prototype at the 2023 show, brought a more polished prototype car to the 2024 show, and used this week’s 2025 CES to reveal the production version of its first product.
The car is called the Afeela 1. SHM plans to sell it online but deliver it only to California (at first).
It’s not a Honda full of Sony gear. Honda executives, at CES to show off their own cars, directed all questions about the Afeela 1 to SHM, saying they knew little about the car.
Instead, it was designed from the ground up by engineers working exclusively for SHM.
The Afeela 1 as a Car
The Afeela 1 will be a high-end, high-tech endeavor. SHM will sell the car in two trim levels. The top-of-the-line Signature trim will appear first, priced at $102,900 and due to arrive in 2026. The slightly less opulent Origin trim will appear a year later with that $89,900 sticker price.
It’s customary for automakers to charge a separate delivery fee on top of a car’s price. SHM representatives at CES could not tell us whether they’ll charge one for the Afeela 1.
We almost want to skip describing the car – it’s as close to a generic sedan look as you’ll find in a modern car. Thin LED lighting and creative wheel covers lend it a bit of a luxury look. But this car isn’t meant to be eye-catching from the outside.
Three prominent sensor bumps above the windshield advertise its high-tech theme. People will likely mistake Afeelas for cars performing scans for digital maps.
The company is keeping mechanical details about the car surprisingly quiet. We know every Afeela 1 will be electric and all-wheel drive (AWD), with a separate motor powering each axle. A presenter at CES said each motor will make 241 horsepower, which would give the car an impressive 482 in total. But company materials don’t confirm the figure.
The company has targeted a range of 300 miles, but has no official figures to share. It rides on an adaptive air suspension – a common technology in luxury cars that lets a car adjust suspension firmness to changing road conditions.
About the Afeela 1 as a Tech Product
While SHM may have little to say about the Afeela 1 as a car, they’re heavily invested in promoting it as a tech platform.
Automakers usually advertise cars to us with horsepower figures and a mention of wireless smartphone integration. SHM talks about the Afeela 1’s 800 TOPS of computing power and 40 sensors, including cameras, radar, lidar, and ultrasonic sensors.
The driver faces a dashboard made of at least four separate screens and controls the car with a Tesla-style yoke instead of a steering wheel.
Built for a Future of Automation
The car “pursues an interactive relationship between people and vehicles through the integration of advanced software and high-performance hardware, resulting in intelligent mobility,” SHM says.
That means “Level 2+” automation capability at first, the company says. Automakers define their attempts to build self-driving cars through a matrix of five levels. At Level 2, now common in 2025 cars, a car can accelerate, brake, and turn to keep pace with traffic under certain highway conditions while the driver watches the road but doesn’t need to touch the steering wheel or pedals unless prompted. At Level 3, currently found only in two Mercedes-Benz cars and only legal in California and Nevada, the driver can look away briefly.
Level 2+ is not a defined term. SHM says the Afeela 1 was “developed for the era of autonomous driving” and “will continue to evolve.” So we imagine they mean it will function as a Level 2 car at purchase, with plans to upgrade it later.
AI Voice Assistant, Personal Entertainment at Each Seat
All that computing power goes to provide you with a decent conversation. An AI-powered “personalized agent brings comfort and entertainment to travel time and the cabin,” the company says. You can use voice commands to control information and entertainment functions, or just have a conversation with the car.
Buyers will get a complimentary 3-year subscription to the agent. SHM hasn’t disclosed subscription prices to keep it going in year four.
“Each occupant can enjoy a variety of apps and content provided by entertainment partners through an optimized, unique sound system and displays by seat,” the company says.
You’ll have to step up to the pricier Signature trim to get separate entertainment screens for rear-seat passengers. But everyone benefits from “optimally placed speakers featuring Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Technologies” for an immersive audiophile sound experience.
To fill its many screens, SHM says it is “working on creating unique entertainment experiences using driving and vehicle data through collaborations with external creators and developers.” Leveraging Sony’s long experience in entertainment and gaming, the apps could well be the most interesting part of the car in time.
Collecting $200 Refundable Reservations Now
SHM plans to build the Afeela 1 in Ohio. A slow, state-by-state rollout lets the company develop a network of “authorized repair providers to ensure long-term peace of mind for owners.” That’s a common hurdle for new automakers, who can’t rely on an established network of dealers to perform repairs and service.
Representatives weren’t clear on where service centers would be located, yet. But more details will come soon, we’re told.
Interested shoppers can place a $200 refundable reservation at https://www.shm-afeela.com/
