Sony Honda Afeela Prototype 2026 Was the Easier Engineering Challenge

February 19, 2026

Sebastian Blanco

The Sony Honda Afeela Prototype 2026 didn’t come with too many new details when Sony Honda Mobility revealed it at CES 2026 in January. This second model in the forthcoming SHM line-up is slightly larger than the Afeela 1 but will share many powertrain and design components.

Both Afeela models will use Qualcomm Snapdragon digital chassis platform for tailored in-cabin experiences created by generative AI as well as for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Qualcommn’s executive vice president and group general manager of Automotive, Industrial & Embedded IoT and Robotics at Qualcomm, Nakul Duggal, called the Snapdragon digital chassis the “core of Afeela” and that the Afeela models “will set a new benchmark for what an intelligent car can be.”

Some of that will be the vehicles’ automated driving skills. The Afeela 1 will have a total of 40 sensors, including 18 cameras, one lidar, 9 radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors. SHM said it expects to offer “Level 4-equivalent” autonomous driving capabilities from the Snapdragon-powered Afeela Intelligent Drive at some point, but the Afeela 1 will come with a Level 2+ hands-off, eyes-on automated driving system at launch.

As for in-cabin entertainment, the Afeela 1 will be the first car to offer built-in Remote Play for streaming PlayStation games. The Afeela Personal Agent is an interactive, conversational AI that drivers should be able to easily speak with to enjoy personalized experiences. SHM said the Afeela Intelligent Drive ADAS system uses an end-to-end AI model with an integrated Vision-Language Model (VLM).

SHM began trial producdtion of the Afeela 1 at Honda's East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio in the fall of 2025. *(Sebastian Blanco)*

The larger vehicle that the new Prototype previews will be available for sale in 2028, SHM said. The Afeela 1 will be built at Honda's East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, with the plant acting as a contract manufacturing partner. Trial production for the Afeela 1 started in the fall of 2025 and deliveries will start in the launch state of California in late 2026. Initial deliveries in Japan will be in the first half of 2027.

The hinted-at SUV shape of the Prototype 2026 should appeal to families and drivers who need more interior room, and it’s easier to add the many sensors and screens to a larger vehicle, but Sony Honda Mobility of America Inc. president and CEO Shugo Yamaguchi told SAE Media that the team enjoyed the challenge of designing the Afeela 1 sedan first.

“We started with the smaller vehicle because there are more technological and technical hurdles when you have to put a lot more parts in a smaller space,” he said. “We started with a lidar [sensor] in a lower-down position. [The Afeela 1 is] a shorter car, so it’s a lower lidar. When you raise that up on the prototype, for example, you’re going to have more safety because there’s more availability because of the height. We choose the difficult way.”