Honda's Sony Afeela EV will cost $145K, travel up to 480km

At the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sony unveiled the Vision S, a concept car designed to showcase its infotainment systems.

A few years later, Sony had partnered with Honda to make its sleek EV a reality.

What we knew in 2023 was that the duo's new joint venture would be called Sony Honda Mobility, and the cars would be known by the name Afeela.

This week, at the same show, Sony and partner Honda have finally confirmed pricing for the new car, and details on where it will be offered.

The price? You're looking at a starting point of US$89,900 for the Afeela 1 Origin. That's about $145,000 in Australian dollars.

What it converts to in Aussie bucks is mostly academic, however, because the Afeela 1 will only be offered not just in the United States, but California specifically.

The companies haven't revealed everything about the Afeela's driving tech, but the key details for potential buyers are now known.

Power in all versions will be provided by two 180kW motors for an all-wheel-drive configuration, drawing energy from a 91kWh battery pack. Driving range is listed at "up to 300 miles" on the EPA standard, converting to just over 480 kilometres.

The Tesla-donated NACS charger design is standard, enabling up to 150kW of DC fast charging. (This is still behind the likes of Hyundai and Kia, whose 800V systems can peak at around 230kW.)

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Click above for more interior images

Inside, there are two large main infotainment displays, with a 'yoke' steering wheel intended to maximise visibility of the driver's instruments.

This approach was introduced by Tesla, although Lexus has also adopted it as an option in its electric RZ SUV.

Rear passengers also get a pair of 12.9-inch displays, and given Sony is driving this aspect of the car, these could prove to be the best displays and menu systems on the market.

On the safety front, the Afeela 1 boasts 40 sensors of different types, including LIDAR units on its roof, clearly visible in these images.

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Click above for more exterior images

Interestingly, Sony's initial Vision S design – which wore a markedly different front end to what we see on the Afeela – was accompanied later by an SUV version, shown above.

Whether this variant will join the range later, remains to be seen – but as general market trends have shown, it would likely be the best seller of the two.

Watch this space for word on whether we'll see the Afeela reach other markets.

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