Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Sony unveils new concept car and confirms when first Afeela 1 vehicles will arrive

The Afeela prototype 2026 is a SUV which will hit America in 2028

Add as a preferred source on Google
Sony Honda Mobility Afeela 1 and Prototype 2026
John McCann / Digital Trends
CES 2026
Read and watch our complete CES coverage here

Sony Honda Mobility has finally confirmed when the first customers of its Afeela 1 EV will receive their vehicles, while also showing us a brand new concept car during its CES 2026 press conference.

The Afeela 1 was first announced back at CES 2023, after Sony and Honda jointly showed off the original Vision S concept at CES 2020.

Recommended Videos

At the introduction of the Afeela, Sony Honda Mobility said it would hit roads in the US in 2026, and the good news is it’s set to keep that promise from three years ago.

Company CEO, Yasuhide Mizuno, confirmed that deliveries of the fully electric Afeela 1 sedan will start in California later this year, with Japanese customers next in line to receive the car in the first half of 2027.

This will be welcome news for those who reversed an Afeela several years ago, and it will be great to see the car hit the road. However, Mizuno had one more thing to show us during his presentation.

The Afeela prototype 2026

The side of the stage raised and out rolled the Afeela Prototype 2026, an SUV model which will be turned into a production car as early as 2028 for North America.

While we were able to see the exterior of the car on stage, it wasn’t possible to see inside, and no specs were provided – leaving us a little in the dark as to what exactly we can expect from this new model.

What we do know is it’ll likely get the PS Remote Play functionality of the Afeela 1, allowing you to stream games you own on your PS4 or PS5 and play them in the car (providing you have a strong enough internet connection).

Assuming the prototype follows in the footsteps of the infotainment of the Afeela, you can expect a large panoramic display up front, and entertainment screens in the rear.

These displays can be customized, personalized and themed, allowing you to put your own stamp on the vehicle, with animated wallpapers, apps and more.

We might learn more about the SUV prototype, and the new model it spawns, in the coming months, or perhaps we’ll be kept waiting until CES 2027 for the next major update.

John McCann
John has been a consumer technology & automotive journalist for over a decade.
Volvo’s purported EX50 could be the budget-friendly plot twist nobody saw coming
Volvo's next electric SUV could shake up the EX lineup with more room and a smaller price tag.
Volvo EX30 front profile.

Volvo’s electric lineup needed a genuinely affordable entry point, and a new report suggests that buyers might actually get one. 

According to a new Automotive News report, Volvo is quietly working on a compact electric crossover, called the EX50. It will be aimed at replacing the dated EX40 in the US sometime in 2027. 

Read more
Xiaomi just launched an SUV with seven seats and a bedroom upstairs
Xiaomi’s SkyNomad SUV could replace your car, office, lounge, and tent
Skynomad

Xiaomi’s new family SUV is basically a house on wheels with enough claimed range to cover more than 1,000 miles. It also costs considerably less than its outlandish feature list might suggest. The company has officially launched the SkyNomad N90 Max in China for 299,900 yuan, equivalent to roughly $44,400 through direct conversion.

Preorders are open now, with the first vehicles expected to reach customers in September. The converted figure provides useful context, though it does not represent pricing outside China. Xiaomi describes the seven-seat flagship as a “house you can move.” This unusually grand pitch starts making sense once you see what happens inside.

Read more
Mazda chief says the MX-5 Miata could go electric
2019 Mazda Mazda3 AWD review

For years, the idea of an electric Mazda MX-5 Miata felt almost impossible. The little roadster has always been celebrated for one thing above everything else: keeping things light. Add a heavy battery pack into the equation, and many enthusiasts assumed the Miata's trademark driving character would disappear along with it.

Mazda, however, appears to have changed its mind. In an interview with German publication auto motor und sport, Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro confirmed that the next-generation MX-5 is being developed with the possibility of an all-electric version in mind. It doesn't mean the iconic roadster is abandoning gasoline anytime soon. Still, it does suggest Mazda wants the Miata to survive in a future where internal combustion engines may no longer be an option.

Read more