At CES 2026, Sony Honda Mobility's latest Afeela 1 still feels woefully out of date

It's been six years since Sony first rolled retired its prototype car astatine CES 2020. It was called the  Vision-S backmost then, and I retrieve everyone endlessly debating conscionable really superior nan user electronics powerhouse was astir making a car. Over nan consequent half-decade, Sony has proven it is not only serious, but perfectly hell-bent connected making this point a reality.

At CES 2026, we're still someway astir 12 months distant from that car hitting nan roads. Now called nan Afeela 1, alternatively of being built by Sony due it will travel from nan associated task Sony Honda Mobility. It will commencement astatine $89,900, connection astir 300 miles of range, and deterioration an exterior creation truthful sedate that moreover nan 31.5-inch-wide "Media Bar" micro-LED integrated into nan chemoreceptor hardly makes an impact.

With nan Afeela up connected shape again this year, what's caller successful 2026? I'm caller from getting a person look astatine nan sedan present successful Las Vegas and, sadly, there's small much to spot than what truthful underwhelmed maine past year. From nan outside, 2026's Afeela looks nigh identical to 2025's, prevention for 1 change: I'm happy to study that nan unfortunate seam moving down nan mediate of past year's nose-mounted Media Bar has been fixed. It now appears to beryllium a single, contiguous panel.

On nan inside, nan interior seems to person a higher grade of fresh and decorativeness than past year's. To get in, you either push connected a small fastener hidden successful nan trim aliases propulsion retired nan smartphone app and petition that nan doorway unfastened automatically. There are nary doorway latches arsenic such, thing that mightiness raise a fewer eyebrows fixed Tesla's existent doorway grip woes. (I was told location are beingness doorway releases hidden beneath nan car connected nan outside, and debased successful nan doorway paper connected nan inside.)

The doorway closes automatically erstwhile you're inside, instantly hushing nan manic drone of nan crowd connected nan always-packed CES floor. This creates a awesome soundscape for nan whopping 28 speakers Sony is deploying here. The car's interior style was really designed to optimize nan placement of those speakers, and nan fewer moments of euphony I heard were impressive.

There's Dolby Atmos support, truthful you tin return afloat advantage of nan spatial audio features successful nan cockpit. You tin moreover toggle nan sound connected aliases disconnected for individual seats, possibly helping a small 1 enactment dormant successful nan backmost spot — aliases simply sparing your kids from nan depths of your blameworthy pleasance playlist.

The astir noticeable characteristic wrong nan car, though, is nan sweeping show that runs crossed nan dashboard. There's a 12.3-inch LCD gauge cluster connected nan near conjoined pinch a 28.5-inch show that goes each nan measurement to nan right. Sony's infotainment package efficaciously splits that rightmost sheet successful two, enabling you aliases nan rider to resistance apps near aliases correct arsenic needed.

Media aliases different distracting apps moving connected nan passenger's broadside of nan show will trigger an integrated privateness shield, blacking it retired ensuring minimal distraction for nan driver. But Sony is still pushing nan letter cover a spot present successful a fewer different areas. You tin dial into Zoom meetings from nan driver's seat, for example, and while nan Afeela 1 won't beryllium nan first car to do this (Mercedes-Benz included nan work successful nan car successful its 2024 E-Class), Sony will really fto nan driver participate successful nan video while driving. This seems a small unnecessary to me.

Zoom uses nan ceiling-mounted camera, 1 of 40 sensors successful and astir nan Afeela 1. That includes nan pods for a LiDAR sensor and much cameras protruding alternatively conspicuously from nan roof. These sensors will supply Level 2+ driver assistance astatine launch. Over time, Sony promises to upgrade nan car to Level 4, meaning that you, nan driver, could theoretically return a nap down nan wheel. The car surely looks to person capable sensors and processing powerfulness to make that work, but arsenic we saw pinch Tesla's Full Self Driving, these sorts of automotive upgrades person a inclination to take longer than anticipated.

Some of that integer processing powerfulness comes courtesy of Qualcomm's Snapdragon Digital Chassis, which besides powers nan infotainment experience. The package that runs nan dashboard and rear spot acquisition looked acold much broad than before. That includes a functional AI sound adjunct providing precocious routing guidance, for illustration telling you which of nan twelve taquerias connected your way has nan champion guac.

Personalization is simply a large portion of nan income transportation here, pinch downloadable packages changing everything from nan car's ambient lights to nan gauge cluster, motor sound, and moreover whatever's displayed connected nan nose-mounted display.

The thought present is to springiness you an affectional relationship pinch nan car -- contempt its decidedly emotionless exterior design.

"Our brand, Afeela, is built connected a imagination to redefine nan narration betwixt group and mobility," Izumi Kawanishi, Sony Honda Mobility's president and COO, said. "Being successful a car will nary longer beryllium astir driving. It will beryllium astir making nan astir of your clip and abstraction while you move."

I sewage to sample a number of these customizations astatine nan show, including a peculiarly cool 1 that replicated nan dashboard of Honda's first-ever Grand Prix-winning machine, 1965's RA272. The Afeela moreover picked up nan raspy sound of its 1.5-liter V12.

The pre-production car connected nan Afeela shape had astir a twelve specified experiences installed, but nan scheme is for many, galore more. Sony Honda Mobility will motorboat what it's calling nan Afeela Co-Creation Program, a group of package developer devices and interfaces enabling third-party developers to not only create their ain customizations, but to waste them.

Yes, alternate gross streams are a large portion of nan equation here, including premium audio and video purchases, but Sony seemingly isn't factoring that successful to thief make nan Afeela 1 much affordable. Again, you're looking astatine $89,900 to start, a value that hasn't changed from past year.

In fact, nan biggest alteration to nan Afeela 1 since CES 2025's showing is simply a delay. The sedan now isn't hitting nan roadworthy until nan very extremity of 2026, pinch first, constricted deliveries happening successful California. Arizona is adjacent successful 2027, but it could beryllium years much earlier it's disposable anyplace other successful nan world.

Don't telephone it vaporware, though, because it is coming. Trial accumulation activity is already happening astatine Honda's works successful Ohio. In fact, nan Afeela 1 you spot present is an early, pre-production instrumentality assembled there.

But conscionable because it's going to hap doesn't mean that it will beryllium a compelling product. An EV that costs $20,000 much than a more-powerful, longer-range Lucid Air Touring is simply a difficult proposition today, ne'er mind 2027 aliases later, erstwhile nan Afeela 1 will yet go readily available.

With sedans progressively connected nan outs successful nan American market, an SUV style would make much sense. Sony confirmed that 1 is coming by rolling retired nan Afeela 2026 Prototype, but contempt its name, it isn't coming until 2028 astatine nan earliest.

As overmuch arsenic I respect Sony's stubborn committedness to this project, nan numbers are conscionable not moving retired successful nan Afeela 1's favor. I asked Sony Honda Mobility America president and CEO Shugo Yamaguchi what would make nan car guidelines retired successful an EV conception that's progressively crowded pinch value machines, galore disposable for tens of thousands less.

"We do person that LiDAR, which is expensive, and introduces much safety. We person amended entertainment, astonishing displays and 800 TOPS of processing power. So, we judge that done our applications and our development, we are going to much than make our customers happy," he said.

Will customers salary much for a luxury and information acquisition topped disconnected by an costly sensor that apt won't beryllium afloat utilized for years to come? After making a akin transportation successful its 2025 EX90, Volvo has decided to delete LiDAR from nan 2026 model. I can't opportunity I'm much bullish here.

The Afeela 1 was an audacious merchandise erstwhile it was announced astatine CES 2020, but pinch each consequent twelvemonth it feels much and much retired of touch. It'll undoubtedly beryllium nan eventual look of marque loyalty for nan existent PlayStation fans retired there. But pinch moreover established luxury brands for illustration BMW and Mercedes-Benz shifting their attraction to much affordable EVs for illustration the caller CLA, a $90,000 sedan pinch specs that sounded bully successful 2020 makes it awfully difficult to enactment excited for this PlayStation connected wheels.