Afeela, the EV brand introduced last year at CES, is inching closer to debut with its first car. A prototype of the upcoming model, developed by Honda in partnership with Sony, has been unveiled this year in Las Vegas. The model should slot in the same segment as the Tesla Model S and Lucid Air.
The Afeela concept car was in the spotlight in Las Vegas with a revised design and new features on board. The team drove it onto the CES 2024 stage with the help of a PlayStation DualSense controller.
The car that arrived in Las Vegas is as close as it gets to the production version. There is a new bumper up front. The front fascia integrates a digital display, flanked by LED headlights, which are connected by an LED strip, a design solution which is becoming common in the car industry.
The cameras that replaced the conventional side mirrors were replaced back by conventional side mirrors while the pillars are now thicker, a hint that Afeela must have interfered with the overall structure of the car. New taillights show up at the rear, together with a redesigned rear bumper.
The car has also grown in size compared to the previous prototype the joint venture showed last year. Now, we are dealing with a vehicle that measures 193.5 inches (4,915 millimeters) long, which makes it 0.8 inches longer than before.
The other figures remain unchanged, meaning that it is 74.8 inches (1,900 millimeters) wide and 57.5 inches (1,460 millimeters) tall and sports a wheelbase of 118.1 inches (3,000 millimeters).
Photo: SHM
Afeela restyled the center console, where it integrated the dual wireless smartphone charger. There is a new steering wheel on board as well, and a new rearview mirror.
A conversational personal assistant, based on Microsoft Azure Open AI Service, will be on board. Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) credits it with the ability of seamless communication with natural language and conversation-like interactions. Furthermore, a partnership with Epic Games will bring immersive displays, augmented reality, and game-like features.
The car is powered by two electric motors that operate in an all-wheel drive setup. Each of them generates 241 horsepower (245 metric horsepower) for a total system output of 483 horsepower (489 metric horsepower). The energy is stored in a lithium-ion battery pack with a capacity of 91 kWh with fast charging capabilities.
The Afeela-branded model will roll off the production line of Honda's plant in Ohio and will be sold exclusively online in North America and other major markets around the world. The model will be available for preorder in the first half of 2025.
First customers will start receiving their cars in the first quarter of 2026. Based on the partnership with Polyphony Digital, the first Afeela model will be added to Gran Tourismo 7 later in 2024.
A Tesla Model S and Lucid Air rival, the Afeela is expected to start at around $45,000.
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