CES 2026: Sony’s AFEELA 1 EV is again and highway prepared

Sony Honda Mobility confirmed off the AFEELA 1 electrical automobile once more at CES this yr. If, like me, you noticed it final yr, the expertise will really feel very acquainted. Nevertheless, this is not essentially a foul factor. The AFEELA 1 nonetheless seems to be polished, nonetheless leans exhausting into its id as a rolling leisure hub, and nonetheless feels extra like a Sony product than a conventional automotive. What’s completely different is that this yr is much less about flashy new options and extra about refinement.

Sony Honda Mobility used its CES keynote to reiterate its imaginative and prescient of “mobility as a artistic leisure house,” positioning AFEELA 1 as a automotive constructed round time spent inside it, not simply getting from level A to level B. Sitting contained in the EV once more, that philosophy is apparent. The panoramic dashboard show stays the centerpiece, spanning the complete cabin and serving as the first interface for navigation, media, and apps.

Alongside the AFEELA 1, Sony Honda Mobility additionally confirmed off a SUV-style prototype, dubbed AFEELA Prototype 2026. Regardless of its title, the corporate says this prototype will doubtless attain manufacturing in 2028 on the earliest. It gave the impression to be basically the identical because the AFEELA 1, solely in SUV type, although Sony Honda Mobility is remaining tight-lipped on additional particulars at this stage. We’ll simply have to attend to seek out out extra info on AFEELA 1’s youthful sibling because it will get nearer to manufacturing.

Within the meantime, the AFEELA 1 has lots to maintain us entertained — actually. Certainly one of my private favourite options of the AFEELA 1 is its PlayStation Distant Play. When you already personal a PS5, you possibly can stream video games to the rear seat shows utilizing a DualSense controller. I obtained to check it for the primary time after it was teased final yr, and the connection wasn’t too unhealthy. Clearly, it was unable to stream in 4K, however there was no noticeable enter lag and it held up reliably even in a crowded demo setting. It’s nonetheless very a lot a “you already have to be purchased into the PlayStation ecosystem” characteristic, however it works extra persistently now than it did earlier than.

The AI assistant, AFEELA, can also be again, and it’s nonetheless finest described as competent however unremarkable. Sony Honda Mobility frames it as a “private agent” powered by Microsoft Azure OpenAI, meant to help pure dialog and personalization over time. In observe, it behaves like an ordinary in-car assistant. It might open apps, set locations, regulate settings, and reply to primary contextual prompts. It complemented my shirt utilizing the cameras within the automotive, in order that was good.

The place the AFEELA 1 does really feel improved is within the fundamentals. The inside runs extra easily total, with sooner display screen responses and fewer hiccups when switching between apps. The cabin feels quieter and extra composed, and it is clear Sony Honda Mobility is prioritizing consolation and stability over experimental options.

That sense of polish additionally extends to how Sony Honda Mobility is positioning the AFEELA 1 as a productiveness house. Past leisure, the automotive helps apps like Zoom, letting you’re taking video calls from contained in the cabin. The digicam angle is a bit off, so bear in mind that you could be not look your finest when it is on. They demoed it for us, and the digicam was large sufficient to seize everything of the automotive, quite than framing you want a laptop computer webcam.

All of this refinement comes at a premium. The AFEELA 1 is priced beginning at $89,900, with larger trims exceeding $100,000, firmly putting it within the luxurious EV territory. At that worth, one’s expectation must be larger than simply with the ability to operate correctly. Nevertheless, this yr’s demo suggests Sony Honda Mobility is specializing in getting the basics proper earlier than hitting California’s roads later this yr.

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