Two of Japan’s giant brands Sony and Honda didn’t waste any time. After establishing a new, joint company in July last year, it has finally been named: AFEELA. To make an even bigger impact, both the brand’s name and a prototype were unveiled at the biggest tech convention, CES 2023.
AFEELA: Sony and Honda’s mobility solution
Sony Honda Mobility Inc. (SHM) came charging into this venture with one mission in mind, to “Move people, through the pursuit of innovation with diverse inspirations”. The brand’s name itself, AFEELA, is said to represent “FEEL” which is at the center of the mobility experience. It “expresses an interactive relationship where people ‘FEEL’ mobility as an intelligent entity, and mobility ‘FEELs’ people and society using sensing and network IT technologies”. Along with the announcement of its name, a prototype has likewise been put on display at this year’s CES to demonstrate a new relationship between people and mobility.
Photo: SHM
As for the prototype, which itself has yet to be named, it shows off a very futuristic design with a good mix of smooth curves and sharp angles, and a minimalist overall look. It also features a “Media Bar” which allows intelligent mobility to express itself to surrounding people using light, enabling interactive communication between mobility and people.
Photo: SHM
Over to its interior, Sony Honda says that AFEELA “wraps its occupants in a soft cocoon”. Based on a gentle, rounded tone, it comes in a very simple and clean design, providing a comfortable atmosphere and minimizing distractions from ornaments or colors. A people-centric experience that provides functionality is what they are gunning for, and if we’re to base it on the photo seen above, it looks like they hit the nail right.
Other highlights of the AFEELA prototype are what SHM calls the 3A’s. We can expect this and the following vehicles to feature Autonomy, Augmentation, and Affinity.
The first A will be by way of 45 cameras and sensors inside and outside the vehicle. In-car cameras and Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors detect the driver and car’s situation to help avoid accidents. Augmentation will be focused on providing a personalized in-car experience through cloud-service connectivity, realizing entertainment beyond driving while aiming for intuitive navigation through augmented reality (AR) using our sensing technology. As for Affinity, an open community will bring owners and the public together to find and create new forms of mobility entertainment.
Photo: SHM
When does the prototype set for production? According to Sony Honda, AFEELA pre-orders and production are slated to begin sometime in the first half of 2025. Sales will then commence at the end of the same year.
2023 is off to a pretty good start for both the automotive and tech industries, and with Sony and Honda’s partnership, we’re pretty sure AFEELA will sell out of dealerships as quickly as the PlayStation 5. Probably even faster.
