Sony Afeela Preview: Working To Stand Out

I had the chance to see the car up close in the heart of Beverly Hills last week, at an event hosted in what will be the showcase gallery for Sony going forward. I walked away thinking it's a solid first effort for a small brand -- but how will it sell once the "gotta have it first" types have done their shopping?

(Full Disclosure: Attendees were given plenty of light bites and alcohol, and while I tried to dodge the smiling worker handing me a swag bag when I left, I failed and ended up taking home a portable phone charger and some sort of fragrance sample.)

Also, sorry for my pic quality -- the space was dark and a little crowded.

We've covered some details of the Afeela -- apparently, pronounced "a-vila" with "vila" sounding like the last name of TV handyman Bob Vila -- already, but now we know more, such as the $89,900 starting price. It's all-wheel drive with both the front and rear electric motors each being 180 kW. The battery is lithium-ion with a 91-kWh capacity and the claimed range is 300 miles. The car is compatible with NACs Superchargers and DC charging is 150 kW, with AC at 11 kW.

There's a double-wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear.

Available features will include Level 2+ advanced driver-assist systems and autonomous driving, a "media bar" that displays text between the headlights, a panoramic interior screen, automatic power doors, 40 sensors, spatial audio, 3D maps, noise canceling, a steering yoke, rear spoiler, and sustainable interior fabrics.

It all looks cool, even if it's decked out in USC colors (I root for rival Notre Dame, so, ugh). The text bar is cool, though no word if you can use it to tell off other drivers who cut you off in traffic. The big side-to-side interior screen is particularly intriguing, even if I shudder at the out-of-warranty repair costs. The Afeela looks small up close but it's a bit larger than a Tesla Model 3, at least in terms of exterior dimension. The design is sleek, though the lidar protrusions ruin the flow a bit.

I can't wait to drive the thing, and that might happen next year. Until then, I think Afeela is making a sincere effort -- this isn't just dilettantism. The partnership with Honda helps, of course. The question is, does the Afeela offer enough uniqueness to stand out from Lucid and Tesla? Will it drive better, the worse, or the same, as vehicles from those manufacturers? The Afeela's price sounds reasonable but base -- emphasis on base -- Model 3 and Air models are a tad less expensive.

The other question is, who is the buyer? Elon Musk's actions have driven some Tesla intenders away, but there are still some folks who, regardless of the CEO's antics, hold Tesla in high regard due to the brand's success and the cars' driving dynamics. I just drove an Air for a week a month or so ago, and it was put together well, fun to drive, and properly luxurious. My only real beef was the overreliance on screens -- and the Afeela has a big one.

Sony will get some buyers who want to be the first to have one, or who are seduced by the consumer tech/audio features, or who just want something different from anything else in the segment. If the brand wants to sell and grow beyond those niches, the car will need to be fun to drive, comfortable, and offer up an experience that is on par or better with the competition.

Just like any other new car ever, really.

We won't know how well Sony gets the dynamics right until we drive it, though the Honda connection gives me hope. Until then, the Afeela intrigues -- and maybe by next year, I'll know how to correctly pronounce the name.

[Images © 2025 Tim Healey/TTAC.com]

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